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Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI) Guide for Non-Residents

T4155(E) Rev. 23

Find out if this guide is for you

This guide is for you if you are a non-resident of Canada receiving the old age security (OAS) pension. This guide will help you complete Form T1136, Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI).

The CRA's publications and personalized correspondence are available in braille, large print, e-text, and MP3. For more information, go to Order alternate formats for persons with disabilities or call 1-800-959-8281. If you are outside Canada and the United States, call 613-940-8495. The CRA only accepts collect calls made through a telephone operator. After your call is accepted by an automated response, you may hear a beep and notice a normal connection delay. This service operates in Eastern Standard Time and is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. 

La version française de ce guide est intitulée Guide de déclaration des revenus pour la Sécurité de la vieillesse (DRSV) pour les non-résidents.

Unless otherwise stated, all legislative references are to the Income Tax Act or, where appropriate, the Income Tax Regulations.

Table of contents

Before you start

Tax on Old Age Security (OAS) benefits

The tax on OAS benefits is an additional tax applied in the tax year to OAS recipients who report a net world income that is more than the income threshold determined for that year on the Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI). This income threshold is indexed annually with inflation and is CAN$86,912 for the 2023 tax year.

Your monthly OAS benefits paid for the July 2024 to June 2025 period will be calculated using the information provided on your 2023 OASRI, where your monthly benefit may be reduced by a recovery tax withholding if you were subject to the tax on OAS benefits.

If you are subject to OAS recovery tax in addition to non-resident withholding tax, the two taxes combined cannot be more than the OAS benefit paid in the month.

How recovery tax is calculated

If recovery tax was withheld from your OAS pension in 2023 and the amount withheld is more than the recovery tax you owe, or if you do not have to pay recovery tax based on the information you provide when you file your 2023 OASRI, the CRA will refund the difference to you or apply it to any other Canadian tax you may owe.

If the recovery tax withheld is less than the recovery tax you owe, you will have to pay the difference.

Net world income

Net world income is the total of all income paid or credited to you in a year from Canadian and foreign sources minus any allowable deductions. It includes income from: 

Note

In this guide, foreign source means a source outside Canada.

Find out if you have to file the OASRI

You have to file this return no later than April 30 each year so that your OAS pension is not suspended in July. You have to file even if your net world income is less than CAN$86,912.

Unless you were a resident of a region or country listed below at any time in 2023 and you received OAS pension during that period, you have to file this return.

Generally, the recovery tax applies to non-residents as long as it is not limited or exempted by a tax treaty.

You do not have to file this return if you were a resident of one of the following regions or countries in 2023 and you do not have plans to move to a region or country that is not included on the list before July 1, 2025:

Notes

If you were a resident of Brazil in 2023 and are a Brazilian national, you do not have to file this return.

If you were a resident of the Philippines in 2023 and the total of your 2023 Canadian pensions was CAN$5,000 or less, you do not have to file this return.

If the tax treaty your region or country of residence has with Canada is amended, you may not have to file this return. For more information, contact the CRA.

Return due date

Your OASRI for 2023 must be filed no later than April 30, 2024.

When a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday recognized by the CRA, your return is considered on time if the CRA receives it or if it is postmarked on the next business day.

For more information, go to Due dates and payment dates.

If you owe recovery tax for 2023 (line 48500 of your return) and file your return late, the CRA will charge you a late-filing penalty. The penalty is 5% of your balance owing for 2023, plus 1% of your balance owing for each full month that your return is late, to a maximum of 12 months. Your late-filing penalty may be higher if the CRA charged you a late-filing penalty on a return for any of the three previous years.

Find out if you have to file another 2023 Canadian return

The OASRI only determines the recovery tax on your OAS pension. Filing the OASRI allows Service Canada to determine the amount of OAS they should continue to pay you. 

If you filed Form NR5, Application by a Non-Resident of Canada for a Reduction in the Amount of Non-Resident Tax Required to be withheld for tax year 2023, with the intention of making a section 217 election and the CRA approved it, you must file a return under section 217 of the Income Tax Act. For more information, see Guide T4145, Electing under Section 217 of the Income Tax Act.

If you received employment or business income from Canada, or have taxable capital gains from disposing of taxable Canadian property, you may also have to file an income tax and benefit return.

Completing your OASRI

Complete Form T1136, Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI). Mail one copy to the CRA and keep the other copy for your records.

If you and your spouse or common-law partner receive the OAS pension, each of you must complete and send a return.

Follow the instructions on your return. If you give wrong or incomplete information, processing of your return may be delayed.

Deceased persons

If you are filing a return for an individual who died during the year, enter their date of death on page 1 of the return.

Note

The OAS pension is payable up to, and including, the month of death and is not paid to the estate of a deceased person.

Identification

Email address

Enter your email address on your return if you would like to receive email notifications from the CRA and you agree to the terms of use for email notifications below. You can also register for email notifications by logging in to My Account and selecting the "Notification preferences" service. 

Terms of use for email notifications

Social insurance number (SIN)

Enter your Canadian social insurance number (SIN), individual tax number (ITN) or temporary tax number (TTN). 

If you asked for, but did not yet receive, a SIN or an ITN, and the deadline for filing your return is near, attach a note to your return and file your return without your SIN or ITN.

If you are not eligible for a SIN, complete and send Form T1261, Application for a Canada Revenue Agency Individual Tax Number (ITN) for Non-Residents.

Marital status

Tick the box on your return that applies to your marital status on December 31, 2023.

Married means that you have a spouse. This term only applies to a person you are legally married to.

Living common-law means that you are living in a conjugal relationship with a person who is not your married spouse, and at least one of the following conditions applies:

Note

In this definition, 12 continuous months includes any period you were separated for less than 90 days because of a breakdown in the relationship.

Separated means that you have been living apart from your spouse or common-law partner because of a breakdown in the relationship for a period of at least 90 days.

Note

You are still considered to have a spouse or common-law partner if you were separated involuntarily and not because of a breakdown in your relationship. An involuntary separation could happen when one spouse or common-law partner is living away for work, school, or health reasons, or is incarcerated.

 

Once you have been separated for 90 days because of a breakdown in the relationship, the effective date of your separated status is the day you started living apart.

If you file your return before your 90 day separation period is over and that period includes December 31, enter your marital status as married or living common-law, as applicable. If, after filing your return, you continue to live separate and apart from your spouse or common-law partner and you have been living this way for at least 90 days, you have to change your marital status to "separated" using the first day of the 90 day period as your date of separation. See Digital services for individuals to find out how to change your marital status online, or complete and send Form RC65, Marital Status Change, to the CRA.

Note

You will also have to file an amended return to adjust your entitlement for any credits claimed or to apply for credits that you may not have been entitled to when you were married or living common-law.

Widowed means that you had a spouse or common-law partner who is now deceased.

Divorced means that you are legally divorced from your former spouse.

Single means that none of the other marital statuses applies to you.

Your old age security number

Enter the old age security number issued to you by Service Canada if it was not pre-printed on your return. You can find this number on your NR4(OAS) slip. If the pre-printed number does not match the number on your NR4(OAS) slip, enter the correct number on your return. 

Income

Report all income in Canadian dollars. To calculate how much to report, multiply your income by the exchange rate in effect on the day you received the income. If the amount was paid at various times in the year, visit the Bank of Canada or contact the CRA to get an average annual rate.

Line 11300 – Old age security (OAS) pension

Report your OAS pension amount as shown in any of the following boxes:

You may have received net federal supplements as shown in one of the following boxes:

Add the amount of any supplements to your OAS pension and enter the total on line 11300 of your return.

Line 11400 – CPP or QPP benefits

Report your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) benefit amount shown in box 16 or 26 of your NR4 slip if the slip has income code 46 or 49 in box 14 or 24. The amount may also be shown in box 20 of your T4A(P) slip.

Line 11500 – Other pensions or superannuation

Report the total amount of all other pension or superannuation income that you received from Canadian or foreign sources and all foreign-source social security payments.

If you are 65 years of age or older, include the following income types:

If you are under 65 years of age, see line 13000.

Line 12100 – Interest and other investment income

Use the worksheet to calculate your interest income, taxable dividend income, and capital gains (or losses). 

Interest and taxable dividend income

Report all Canadian and foreign-source interest paid or credited to you in 2023 including interest income from bank accounts, term deposits, guaranteed investment certificates, and other similar investments.

You also have to report interest on any tax refund you received in 2023 as shown on your notice of assessment or reassessment.

Report all taxable dividend income from taxable Canadian corporations by multiplying the actual amount of dividends received by 115%.

Also report all dividends received from foreign sources.

Report any Canadian or foreign-source interest or dividend income that was paid or credited to you in the year even if you did not receive an information slip.

Capital gains

A capital gain or loss may occur when you sell or dispose of a capital property, such as real estate or shares held on account of capital. In determining your income for a tax year, you could apply your allowable capital loss in a year (if any) against your taxable capital gain for that year. However, if you have a net capital loss for that year, you cannot use the net capital loss to reduce other sources of income, including interest and other investment income.

If you sold or disposed of property in 2023 and your taxable capital gains for the year were more than your allowable capital losses, you have to include the difference on line 12100 of your return.

For 2023, the taxable capital gain is generally 50% of the capital gain and the allowable capital loss is 50% of the capital loss.

Note

Do not include capital gains from mortgage foreclosures or conditional sales repossessions. You may also leave out part of the capital gain or loss from the disposition of your residence. For more information, see Income Tax Folio S1-F3-C2, Principal Residence.

If you sold or disposed of a property in 2023, you will need to know the following three amounts to calculate any capital gain or loss:

Proceeds of disposition is usually the amount you received or will receive for your property. In most cases, it refers to the sale price of the property. It could also include compensation you received for property that was destroyed, expropriated, or stolen.

The adjusted cost base is usually the cost of a property plus any expenses to acquire it, such as commissions and legal fees. The cost of a capital property is its actual or deemed cost, depending on the type of property and how you acquired it. The cost also includes capital expenditures, such as the cost of additions and improvements to the property. You cannot add current expenses, such as maintenance and repair costs, to the cost base of a property.

Outlays and expenses are amounts that you incurred to sell a capital property. You can deduct outlays and expenses from your proceeds of disposition when you calculate your capital gain or loss. These types of expenses include:

You cannot reduce your other income by claiming a deduction for these outlays and expenses.

For more information on capital gains and losses, see Guide T4037, Capital Gains or contact the CRA.

Line 12600 – Net rental income

Report your Canadian and foreign-source net rental income or loss for the 2023 calendar year on this line. Include any amount that a partnership allocated to you in its financial statements. If you have a loss, show the amount in brackets.

Line 12900 – RRSP income

Report the total amount of income you received from your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) in 2023 from your T4RSP or NR4 information slips.

Line 13000 – Other income

Report all other Canadian and foreign-source income on line 13000 of your return. In the space to the left of line 13000, specify the type of income you are reporting. If you have more than one type of income, attach a note to your return showing the details.

Other types of income might include:

Note

Do not include amounts paid by Canada or an ally (if the amount is not taxable in that country) for disability or death due to war service.

If you are under 65 years of age, you must also include the following types of income:

If you are 65 years of age or older, see line 11500.

Line 13500 – Net business income

Report your Canadian and foreign-source net income or loss from a business, profession, commission, farming, or fishing. If you have a loss, show the amount in brackets.

Deductions

Line 22100 – Carrying charges and interest expenses

Claim the total amount of carrying charges and interest expenses you paid to earn income from investments.

Carrying charges and interest expenses include all of the following amounts:

You cannot claim any brokerage fees or commissions you paid when you bought or sold securities. Instead, use these costs when you calculate your capital gain or loss.

Line 23200 – Other deductions

Your claim on line 23200 cannot be more than what you could claim if you were a resident of Canada.

Specify the deduction you are claiming in the space to the left of line 23200. Attach a note to your return if you have more than one amount, or to explain your deduction more fully.

You can claim certain amounts from your total world income, including the following:

You can claim any of the following repayment amounts that you received and reported as income in 2023:

Notes

OAS recovery tax withheld from your OAS benefits is deducted at line 43700 of your return.

To calculate your OAS recovery tax, see line 23500.

Attach receipts or other documents showing the amounts you paid back.

You can claim the following legal expenses:

You must reduce your claim by any award or reimbursement you received for the above mentioned expenses. If you are awarded the cost of your deductible legal fees in a future year, report that amount in your income for that year.

If you do not know if a deduction is allowable, contact the CRA.

Refund or balance owing

Line 23500 – Old age security (OAS) recovery tax

If your net world income on line 24200 of your return is more than CAN$86,912, complete your OAS recovery tax calculation using the chart below.

Special situations

If any of the following situations apply to you, do not complete the chart below. Instead, contact the CRA for the special rules and calculations to apply:

Calculating OAS recovery tax

Net world income from line 24200 of your return

$
1

OAS repayment threshold for 2023

−            86,912.00
2

Line 1 minus line 2 (if negative, enter "0")

$
3

Line 3 multiplied by line 4.

× 15%
4

Enter the result on this line.

$
5

OAS pension and net federal supplements received from line 11300 of your return

$
6

OAS benefits overpayment recovered in 2023(see line 23200)

−
7

Line 6 minus line 7 (if negative, enter "0")

$
8

OAS Recovery tax
Enter whichever is less:
amount from line 5 or line 8.

$
9

Line 9 multiplied by line 10.

× 75%
10

Enter the result on this line.

$
11

Enter the amount from line 11 on line 23500 of your return.

Line 43700 – Recovery tax withheld

Claim only the recovery tax withheld from box 27 of your NR4(OAS) slip. Attach a copy of the information slip to your return.

Note

Do not include the non-resident tax withheld shown in box 17 of your NR4(OAS) slip.

Line 48400 – Refund

Generally, the CRA does not refund a difference of CAN$2 or less.

If you are expecting a refund of recovery tax, the CRA may keep some or all of your refund to apply it against the amount you owe or will soon be owing for another year.

Line 48500 – Balance owing

Your balance owing is due no later than April 30, 2024. Generally, the CRA does not charge a difference of CAN$2 or less.

Do not mail cash or include cash with your return.

New As of January 1, 2024, remittances or payments to the Receiver General of Canada should be made as an electronic payment if the amount is more than CAN$10,000. Payers may face a penalty unless they cannot reasonably remit or pay the amount electronically. For more information, go to payments to the CRA.

The CRA will charge daily compound interest on any outstanding balance starting May 1, 2024, until your balance is paid in full.

You or your representative can make a payment using:

You or your representative can make a payment without an account at a Canadian bank or credit union using:

For more information, go to Payments to the Canada Revenue Agency.

If you want to mail your payment to the CRA, attach it to the front of your return. Address your payment to the Receiver General for Canada and include your social insurance number, temporary tax number or individual tax number.

You can file your return early and make your payment as late as April 30, 2024. If the CRA processes your return before the date of the payment, your payment will appear on your notice of assessment, but it will not reduce your balance owing. The CRA will credit your account on the date of the payment.

The CRA will charge you a fee for any payment not honoured by your financial institution.

Making a payment arrangement

If you cannot pay your balance owing on or before April 30, 2024, you should contact the CRA. The CRA will consider a payment arrangement when you have shown that you have tried to pay your debt in full by reducing your expenses or borrowing funds.

The CRA will charge daily compound interest on any outstanding balance starting May 1, 2024, until you pay your balance in full.

Note

Even if you cannot pay all of your balance owing right away, file your OASRI on time to avoid a late-filing penalty and to make sure that Service Canada does not suspend your OAS pension.

After you file your return

The CRA assesses your return based on the information you gave and sends you a notice of assessment. The notice will tell you if you have a refund or a balance owing of recovery tax for 2023. The notice will also tell you if recovery tax will be withheld from your OAS pension for the period from July 2024 to June 2025.

How to change a return

After you have mailed your OASRI, you only need to notify the CRA of a change if any of the following conditions apply to you:

To change a return that you have already sent to the CRA, send a signed letter to your tax centre explaining the changes you want, and include the following information:

If you move

Let the CRA know your new address as soon as possible to make sure any correspondence is sent to the proper address.

If you use direct deposit, you also need to tell the CRA if you change your account at your financial institution.

If you are registered for the CRA’s My Account or MyCRA service, you can change your address online. See “Digital services for individuals”.

To write to the CRA, send your letter to your tax centre. Include your social insurance number ( or your individual tax number, or temporary tax number), your new address, the date of your move, and your signature.

If you are writing to the CRA for someone else, including your spouse or common-law partner, include their social insurance number, individual tax number or temporary tax number, and have the person sign the letter authorizing the change to their records.

Note

You should also inform Service Canada of your new address so that they send your OAS payments and any correspondence to the correct address.

Digital services for individuals

The CRA's digital services are fast, easy, and secure!

My Account

My Account lets you view and manage your personal income tax and benefit information online.

Use My Account throughout the year to:

To sign in to or register for the CRA’s digital services, go to:

Receive your CRA mail online

Set your correspondence preference to “Electronic mail” to receive email notifications when CRA mail, like your notice of assessment, is available in your account.

For more information, go to Email notifications from the CRA – Individuals.

For more information

If you need help

If you need more information after reading this guide, go to Taxes or contact the CRA.

If you have questions about your OAS pension (for example, how to calculate your payments or how to report a lost cheque), contact the Service Canada office in the province or territory where you last resided.

You can also contact Service Canada by telephone at the following numbers:

Service Canada phone numbers
Calls from Canada and the United States 1-800-277-9914 or 1-800-454-8731
Calls from outside Canada and the United States 1-613-957-1954
Teletypewriter users 1-800-255-4786

Forms and publications

If you need a paper version of the CRA's forms and publications, go to Forms and publications or call one of the following numbers:

The CRA only accepts collect calls made through a telephone operator. After your call is accepted by an automated response, you may hear a beep and notice a normal connection delay. This service operates in Eastern Standard Time and is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Electronic mailing lists

The CRA can send you an email when new information on a subject of interest to you is available on the website. To subscribe to the electronic mailing lists, go to Canada Revenue Agency electronic mailing lists.

Tax Information Phone Service (TIPS)

For tax information by telephone, use the CRA's automated service, TIPS, by calling 1-800-267-6999.

Teletypewriter (TTY) users

If you use a TTY for a hearing or speech impairment, call 1-800-665-0354.

If you use an operator-assisted relay service, call the CRA's regular telephone numbers instead of the TTY number.

Formal disputes (objections and appeals)

You have the right to file an objection if you disagree with an assessment, determination, or decision.

For more information about objections and related deadlines, go to Objection, appeals, disputes, and relief measures.

CRA Service Feedback Program

Service complaints

You can expect to be treated fairly under clear and established rules, and get a high level of service each time you deal with the CRA. For more information about the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, go to Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

You may provide compliments or suggestions, and if you are not satisfied with the service you received:

  1. Try to resolve the matter with the employee you have been dealing with or call the telephone number provided in the correspondence you received from the CRA. If you do not have contact information for the CRA, go to Contact the Canada Revenue Agency
  2. If you have not been able to resolve your service-related issue, you can ask to discuss the matter with the employee's supervisor
  3. If the problem is still not resolved, you can file a service related complaint by filling out Form RC193, Service Feedback. For more information and to learn how to file a complaint, go to Submit service feedback.

If you are not satisfied with how the CRA has handled your service-related complaint, you can submit a complaint to the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson. 

Reprisal complaints

If you have received a response regarding a previously submitted service complaint or a formal review of a CRA decision and feel you were not treated impartially by a CRA employee, you can submit a reprisal complaint by filling out Form RC459, Reprisal Complaint.

For more information about complaints and disputes, go to Objections, appeals, disputes, and relief measures.

Cancel or waive penalties and interest

The CRA administers legislation, commonly called taxpayer relief provisions, that allows the CRA’s discretion to cancel or waive penalties and interest when taxpayers cannot meet their tax obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.

The CRA’s discretion to grant relief is limited to any period that ends within 10 calendar years before the year in which a relief request is made.

For penalties, the CRA will consider your request only if it relates to a tax year or fiscal period ending in any of the 10 calendar years before the year you make your request. For example, your request made in 2023 must relate to a penalty for a tax year or fiscal period ending in 2013 or later.

For interest on a balance owing for any tax year or fiscal period, the CRA will consider only the amounts that accrued during the 10 calendar years before the year in which you make your request. For example, your request made in 2023 must relate to interest that accrued in 2013 or later.

Taxpayer relief requests can be made online using the CRA’s My Account, My Business Account (My BA), or Represent a Client digital services.

Using My Account:

Using My BA or Represent a Client:

You can also fill out Form RC4288, Request for Taxpayer Relief – Cancel or Waive Penalties and Interest, and send it to the CRA.

Using My Account:

Using My BA or Represent a client:

To send your Form RC4288 by mail, see the back of the form for the address of your designated office.

For information about how to submit documents online, go to Submit documents online.

For details about the required supporting documents, relief from penalties and interest, and other related forms and publications, go to Cancel or waive penalties and interest at the CRA.

Contact the CRA

By telephone

Calls from Canada and the United States:

Hours of service

Monday to Friday (except holidays), 8 am to 8 pm (local time)
Saturdays (except holidays), 9 am to 5 pm (local time)

1-800-959-8281

Calls from outside Canada and the United States:

The CRA only accepts collect calls made through a telephone operator. After your call is accepted by an automated response, you may hear a beep and notice a normal connection delay.

Hours of service

Monday to Friday (except holidays), 8 am to 5 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Saturdays (except holidays), 9 am to 5 pm (Eastern Standard Time)

1-613-940-8495

By mail

By Mail - Tax Centre Addresses
If your country of residence is: Send your return and related documents to:
Denmark
France
Netherlands
United States
United Kingdom		 Winnipeg Tax Centre
PO Box 14001, Station Main
Winnipeg MB  R3C 3M3
CANADA
Any other country Sudbury Tax Centre
1050 Notre Dame Ave
Sudbury ON  P3A 5C2
CANADA

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