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When Jonathan Zhang, an immigrant from China, got his first paycheque in Canada, he thought there must have been a mistake. After all, a large chunk of his pay was missing. But when he brought the issue to the attention of human resources, he was dismayed to find that all that money had been siphoned off legally—in the form of federal and provincial taxes, Canada Pension Plan contributions and Employment Insurance prtemiums. “I was amazed at how much tax I was paying,” says Zhang.

RBC’s Wendy Seto says many of her immigrant clients are shocked when they realize how high the tax rates are in Canada. “The highest tax bracket back home in China is 12%. They’re not used to sales tax and they aren’t used to paying capital gains on stocks.” She says in some cases, she’s seen immigrants actually leave the country after they realize the extent of their tax obligations.

Even if immigrants are aware of the tax rates in Canada, they are often baffled by the complexity of our tax system. The good news is that if you learn about how the tax system works and get proper professional help, you will likely find some deductions and tax credits that can lower the amount you need to give to the tax man each year.

Tax essentials

The crucial thing for immigrants to understand is that you have to report all income, even if it comes from outside of Canada. You may get credit for tax already paid in another country, especially if there is a tax treaty between Canada and your home country. Any assets you have outside of Canada that are worth $100,000 or more must be reported. You must file your tax return by April 30 of the year after the tax year (June 15th if you run a business).

If you are hanging onto investments in your home country, figure out their value at the time of your immigration. That’s because when you sell the assets, you will only be taxed on their growth since you came to Canada.

Should you file?

You need to file a tax return if you owe tax or want to receive a refund. However, even if you have no income to report or tax to pay, you should file to get the GST/HST credit (a credit given to people with low and modest incomes to offset paying sales tax) and the Canada Child Tax Benefit (a monthly payment given to eligible families with a child under 18 years of age).

Often people who come to Canada to study don’t file a tax return because they have no income. But by filing, you will be eligible for tax credits that can be used in future years when you are working. If you didn’t file your taxes during your student years, you can go back and file them later.