Apply for SIN number for taxes

[bradybunchmom]

My husband has been researching how to file taxes and from what he has found he should be able to claim us on his taxes regardless of PR however the forms ask for a SIN number. Has anyone had any experience applying for a SIN number before receiving PR?

 

[jomz]

My husband has been researching how to file taxes and from what he has found he should be able to claim us on his taxes regardless of PR however the forms ask for a SIN number. Has anyone had any experience applying for a SIN number before receiving PR?

He can claim you as spouse and for your sin he needs to use 000 000 000. Same for dependants.

 

[bradybunchmom]

Thank you!! That is very helpful

 

[o6ocpaka]

Thank you!! That is very helpful

CRA and CIC have a completely different understanding of what is considered to be a resident. Please read this and consider the proper way of filing your taxes. I would definitely advise not to put any fake sin numbers such as 000 000 000
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/cmmn/rsdncy-eng.html

 

[Rob_TO]

CRA and CIC have a completely different understanding of what is considered to be a resident. Please read this and consider the proper way of filing your taxes. I would definitely advise not to put any fake sin numbers such as 000 000 000
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/cmmn/rsdncy-eng.html

Many tax software programs, as well as CRA reps, advise you to use 000s for SIN if you don't have one. It's a very common way to indicate the person does not have a valid SIN.

As long as a spouse/child is living in Canada with the sponsor they can be claimed as a dependent for tax purposes even if they are only here as a visitor. Even if the spouse/child is living outside Canada they can still be claimed, although in this case it's a bit harder since you may need to show proof of financial support.

 

[o6ocpaka]

Many tax software programs, as well as CRA reps, advise you to use 000s for SIN if you don't have one. It's a very common way to indicate the person does not have a valid SIN.

As long as a spouse/child is living in Canada with the sponsor they can be claimed as a dependent for tax purposes even if they are only here as a visitor. Even if the spouse/child is living outside Canada they can still be claimed, although in this case it's a bit harder since you may need to show proof of financial support.

Please provide support and a link what software advises and accepts such things, I have never seen one.

 

[Rob_TO]

Please provide support and a link what software advises and accepts such things, I have never seen one.

You can do in most tax software. Then when you mail the forms in (I don't think you can netfile if a dependent has no SIN info or all 000s), you can hand write something like "no SIN" if you like also. This is only for the dependent being claimed in the taxes, not the person filing the taxes.

https://turbotax.community.intuit.ca/questions/851113-do-i-need-to-enter-income-information-about-my-spouse-if-she-is-a-non-resident-and-living-and-working-outside-canada
http://community.ufile.ca/index.php?/topic/168-how-to-file-when-wife-does-not-live-in-canada/
http://support.drtax.ca/kb/faqs-web-english/source/webpages/kpa360-20130930111536de.htm

As I said I also called CRA on this very issue and the rep told me it's fine. Try calling them yourself if you like.

 

[jomz]

Yes you can net file with the 0s in for a spouse. I did in 2014 for my 2013 tax. My husband was in school so we did not have to claim any of his income as he didn't have one. The only tax return that cannot be done electronically is the 1st tax return of a 1st time PR. Those have to mailed in and the 1st tax return processing takes a little while as CRA has to input everything manually to create a brand new file.

 

[jomz]

Please provide support and a link what software advises and accepts such things, I have never seen one.

Just because you have no knowledge of something doesn't make it not existant. You are free to call CRA (just as we have) tomorrow morning and they will confirm what we have advised herein.

 

[o6ocpaka]

Trust me, I have knowledge and have been doing my taxes for years. I have used quick tax, turbo tax, studio tax etc...None of these application allow you to put 0 as your SIN and proceed(it will fail validation). Not sure what CRA reps tell you over the phone but often they don't know what they are talking about, I have been given false information by them many times. CRA website is very detailed and can answer pretty much any question and nowhere there it says its ok to file your taxes with 0s as SIN number. You can always write a letter to CRA explaining why your spouse has no SIN.
You may get away with this for a while, but later may cause an audit on your file, and that is a lot fun.
My point was, try to fill out taxes properly that's all, putting zeros as your SIN is a shady method, I would not do this.

 

[jomz]

Trust me, I have knowledge and have been doing my taxes for years. I have used quick tax, turbo tax, studio tax etc...None of these application allow you to put 0 as your SIN and proceed(it will fail validation). Not sure what CRA reps tell you over the phone but often they don't know what they are talking about, I have been given false information by them many times. CRA website is very detailed and can answer pretty much any question and nowhere there it says its ok to file your taxes with 0s as SIN number. You can always write a letter to CRA explaining why your spouse has no SIN.
You may get away with this for a while, but later may cause an audit on your file, and that is a lot fun.
My point was, try to fill out taxes properly that's all, putting zeros as your SIN is a shady method, I would not do this.

Well your software may be dysfunctional because I did my taxes before my husband was a PR, used 000 000 000 as his SIN, filed electronically via Inuit website and got my taxes processed properly. In addition, when my husband became PR he already did his 2014 taxes last year (we filed early 2015) and those were processed properly. And it is required that if you are married you file as married and you must enter a SIN #, and that number is 000 000 000. If a spouse is in Canada on a work permit, study visa they can apply for a temporary SIN which will start with 9, otherwise if they are here as visitor or have never been to Canada they must use 000 000 000.

https://turbotax.community.intuit.ca/questions/855242-do-i-need-to-declare-my-spouse-s-income-if-the-spouse-is-non-resident

http://support.drtax.ca/kb/faqs-web-english/source/webpages/kpa360-20130930111536de.htm

 

[jomz]

Trust me, I have knowledge and have been doing my taxes for years. I have used quick tax, turbo tax, studio tax etc...None of these application allow you to put 0 as your SIN and proceed(it will fail validation). Not sure what CRA reps tell you over the phone but often they don't know what they are talking about, I have been given false information by them many times. CRA website is very detailed and can answer pretty much any question and nowhere there it says its ok to file your taxes with 0s as SIN number. You can always write a letter to CRA explaining why your spouse has no SIN.
You may get away with this for a while, but later may cause an audit on your file, and that is a lot fun.
My point was, try to fill out taxes properly that's all, putting zeros as your SIN is a shady method, I would not do this.

https://turbotax.community.intuit.ca/questions/867499-how-to-claim-recent-imigrant-spouse-without-sin-number

 

[Rob_TO]

.None of these application allow you to put 0 as your SIN and proceed(it will fail validation).

Yes some of them do (which is obvious by many people that have successfully done it), and if you bothered to read the links i posted to those tax program's group discussions which are run and moderated by those tax companies... they also encourage people to do it. If there was wrong info in those community groups they would quickly be corrected. Try calling up the tax software companies and asking. If a tax company's software doesn't allow you to do it, then you will need to fill out and mail anyways so can just write a note by hand.

I also have a friend that works at CRA and he said it's perfectly fine to use 000s if software will allow. Every employee at CRA knows it's a universal way of declaring one has no SIN, and they will then send some requests for additional info (such as spouse's world income, etc).

Saying people may be audited because of this is completely unfounded and not based on any actual cases. You are fear mongering as this is simply not true. So it's fine that you personally choose not to do it, but don't start lying that people will be audited because of it.

And again, it's NOT the person filling out the taxes that is using 000s as SIN. It's only for their dependent/spouse's information on their taxes.

 

[o6ocpaka]

Please provide me a link on CRA website with this regulation, where it exactly says to put 0s as your spouse's SIN number. It does not matter what forums say and that it is OK to do so by some mutual agreement rule. Trust me, software developers would include such option where you could say - I don't have a sin number.
The following link explains the proper way of filing taxes when you are new to Canada, again nowhere does it say to circumvent software and enter 0s as SIN number just because you don't have one.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newcomers/#ftr

NETFILE

You can file your return by Internet if you prepare your return with a tax preparation software or Web application. For more information, go to NETFILE.

Note
You will not be able to file electronically without a SIN.

If you have requested a SIN, but have not yet received one, and the deadline for filing your tax return is near, file your tax return without a SIN to avoid any possible late-filing penalty and any interest charges. Attach a note to your return to let us know why you did not enter your SIN.

Ideally, you would need to get an ITN for your spouse to file taxes(if they must) while they are waiting for PR. ITN would become their SIN number later on:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t1261/README.html