Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI)

Non-resident seniors who receive Canadian old age security (OAS) payments may have to pay recovery tax on those payments.

As a non-resident senior who receives OAS payments, you must submit an Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI) so that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can determine if you have to pay recovery tax and also to ensure that your OAS payments are not suspended.

If you are a resident of a region or country that has a tax treaty with Canada, you may not have to file this return. For more information on this exception, see Tax treaties.

What is the purpose of the Old Age Security Return of Income?

The information on your annual OASRI lets the CRA determine if your net world income is more than the threshold. If your net world income for the year is higher than the threshold for the tax year, recovery tax will be deducted from your monthly OAS payments.

Recovery tax

Recovery tax:

• is an additional tax that is used to repay all or part of the OAS pensions received by higher-income pensioners
• applies only if your net world income is more than the threshold for the tax year

Thresholds (in Canadian funds) are:

• $79,845 for the 2021 tax year
• $79,054 for the 2020 tax year
• $77,580 for the 2019 tax year
• $75,910 for the 2018 tax year
• $74,788 for the 2017 tax year
• $73,756 for the 2016 tax year
• $72,809 for the 2015 tax year
• $71,592 for the 2014 tax year
• $70,954 for the 2013 tax year
• $69,562 for the 2012 tax year
• $67,668 for the 2011 tax year
• $66,733 for the 2010 tax year
• $66,335 for the 2009 tax year
• $64,718 for the 2008 tax year
• $63,511 for the 2007 tax year
• $62,144 for the 2006 tax year
• $60,806 for the 2005 tax year

How is recovery tax calculated?

The recovery tax rate is 15% and applies only to the income that is above the threshold for the applicable year ($79,845 for 2021). The threshold for each year is provided above.

To calculate your recovery tax, complete the chart below; however, if any of the following situations applies to you, do not complete this chart and, instead, contact the CRA for the special rules and calculation to apply in these situations:

• You immigrated to Canada or emigrated from Canada in 2021 and you received OAS payments during the part of the year that you were a non-resident
• You received OAS pension throughout 2021, and you were a resident of one of the tax-treaty region or countries listed below for part of 2021 and for the other part of that year you were resident in a non-listed country
• You were a resident of the Philippines in 2021

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

Here is an example of how recovery tax is calculated:

If you are subject to the OAS recovery tax for 2021, your future monthly OAS pension payments, starting with the one for July 2022, might have recovery tax deducted from them.

Tax treaties

Because of the terms of the tax treaty between Canada and another country or region listed below, non-resident seniors living in these countries and region do not have to file an OASRI or pay recovery tax unless they plan to move before July 1, 2023, to a country or region that is not listed below:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Bulgaria
• Colombia
• Cyprus
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Finland
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Israel
• Ivory Coast
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Papua New Guinea
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Tanzania
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkey
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

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:

• employment
• business
• pensions
• social security
• capital gains
• rental property
• interest
• dividends

When calculating your net world income, do not reduce the income by any tax that has already been withheld.

Return due date

Your Old Age Security Return of Income for 2021 must be filed no later than April 30, 2022.

Other Canadian tax returns

You may have to file a separate 2021 Canadian income tax return if any of the following apply to you:

• 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 the year 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 
• You filed Form NR6, Undertaking to File an Income Tax Return by a Non-Resident Receiving Rent from Real or Immovable Property or Receiving a Timber Royalty, and it was approved for the tax year, you must file a section 216 tax return
• You received Canadian-source employment or business income
• You received taxable Canadian-source scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, or research grants
• You received a capital gain from disposing of taxable Canadian property

For more information about filing a Canadian income tax return, see Filing your income tax return.

Forms and Publications

• Guide T4155, Old Age Security Return of Income Guid for Non-Residents
• Form T1136, Old Age Security Return of Income