Posting Query

[mis]

Dear Friends
I am posting a query on behalf of my friend, she needs your guidance on a letter received from CRA.

Kindly go through the attached letter and the information requested by the officer. she landed in 2014 but returned back to India after few months due to medical condition of her parents, on landing she filled all the forms given to her including the child tax benefit and submitted to relevant authorities, from that day onwards she started getting benefits even after exiting Canada ( which i know is wrong but she never consumed anything from that money) anyways, she told me that this all happened because of misguidance by few contacts and lack of knowledge of immigration system and rules.

Anyhow whats done is done - now the point is that first of all she cant provide any requested document and secondly now she is planning to permanently move to Canada this year with family.

Now tell me how to handle this situation she need to respond to the officer before 2nd feb, so kindly suggest some way to professionally handle this situation - as she is very tensed and confused.

she discussed the case with me and i recommended her to post this query on this forum for feedback and help.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwUU0H0X4FPVVHFtRk0zSEpOYzg

 

[scylla]

She needs to tell CRA she was out of the country and not living in Canada.

She wasn't entitled to receive these benefits and will be required to pay them back in full. She will likely also be charged interest on the funds she received (and will have to pay the interest back as well). Once CRA requests the refund, she should pay all of the money back as soon as possible to prevent issues getting child tax benefits payments once she returns to Canada and is entitled to them.

Doesn't matter why it happened. It's benefits fraud and she is held responsible.

 

[mis]

Thanks

but how to respond to their query should she personally send a simple letter to them explaining the whole scenario or through a lawyer.

They said in their letter that if you dont respond by 2nd FEB we will hold your benefits ?

 

[scylla]

She doesn't need a lawyer. She should simply respond and let CRA know she cannot supply the evidence they have requested, let the know the date she left Canada and state that she hasn't returned since then. She should not lie about any of the dates or misrepresent information - otherwise this could turn into a criminal charge situation. Provided she is honest in her response - she shouldn't have any issues (apart from obviously having to pay all of the money back + interest).