CRA review of federal foreign taxes paid

[ski]

Hello all,

I lived in Germany for 8 months in 2017. I worked for a while as a free lancer. In Germany you have to register yourself and get a tax number. Also you have to make advance payments of all VAT that you charge on your services. I reported the VAT that I paid the German govt in 2017 while filing my taxes in Canada in 2018.

I am being assessed for this now. They sent me an email, saying I need to fill Form 2125. Also, I need all information slips. Moreover, if they are not in English (and they are in German) they will need to be translated into English.

So, I have a few questions:

1. For the VAT paid, I never received any letter from the German tax office. Everything has to be done online on their e-portal called Elster. Can I download the forms I submitted showing the VAT I declared as proof of payment?
2. My final notice of assessment for 2017 in Germany was that I didn't have to pay any additional taxes besides the VAT I already paid because the total amount I made was less than the minimum. Will I need to include this also or just the forms that add up to the total tax credit that I am claiming?
3. Do I need to get all these forms translated to English? There will be 2-6 forms depending on how many are needed (2 absolutely necessary plus other general communications and assessments). The last time I translated something from German to English, the translator charged me CAD 30. Frustrating to pay 100+ CAD just on translation.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hello all,

I lived in Germany for 8 months in 2017. I worked for a while as a free lancer. In Germany you have to register yourself and get a tax number. Also you have to make advance payments of all VAT that you charge on your services. I reported the VAT that I paid the German govt in 2017 while filing my taxes in Canada in 2018.

I am being assessed for this now. They sent me an email, saying I need to fill Form 2125. Also, I need all information slips. Moreover, if they are not in English (and they are in German) they will need to be translated into English.

So, I have a few questions:

1. For the VAT paid, I never received any letter from the German tax office. Everything has to be done online on their e-portal called Elster. Can I download the forms I submitted showing the VAT I declared as proof of payment?
2. My final notice of assessment for 2017 in Germany was that I didn't have to pay any additional taxes besides the VAT I already paid because the total amount I made was less than the minimum. Will I need to include this also or just the forms that add up to the total tax credit that I am claiming?
3. Do I need to get all these forms translated to English? There will be 2-6 forms depending on how many are needed (2 absolutely necessary plus other general communications and assessments). The last time I translated something from German to English, the translator charged me CAD 30. Frustrating to pay 100+ CAD just on translation.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi

Likely not questions you are going to get full and complete answers for on this forum. I suggest you just send everything you have. Did CRA specifically say you needed to have the documents formally translated? If not, just do it yourself.

 

[ski]

Thanks for the quick response. I would look for everything. The email says official translation but like you said, I could translate it myself and give it a try. If they come back to me, will have to go to a translator.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks for the quick response. I would look for everything. The email says official translation but like you said, I could translate it myself and give it a try. If they come back to me, will have to go to a translator.

Email? CRA doesn't email.

 

[ski]

This was in my CRA online account. Not my regular email.