being told to pay back GST rebate

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Nonnie
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:36 pm
Location: Alberta

being told to pay back GST rebate

Post by Nonnie »

Hello

My Husband moved to Canada with a Temporary work permit in the summer of 2008. At the time we were only dating and not living together. We filled our taxes completely separately, I was still a dependant of my parents.

I received a GST rebate of about $200 total. We were married in the summer of 2009. I was quite overwhelmed with things at the time and did not report our marriage to the CRA until January 2010 (after we got back from our symbolic ceremony in the Caribbean).

I recently received a letter from the CRA saying I need to pay back my GST rebate because my husband has yet to declare his world income from 2008.

I don't understand how his taxes in 2008 can effect me? We were not together then, why I am being "punished" like this? I am a student, he has a very low paying job, we are barely paying the rent and now they want me to pay them back $200 we don't have. I called the CRA to ask them about this, but the guy I talked to had a very hard voice to understand and his argument was that if I had declared my marital status earlier I would not have to pay back any money, I just never would have received the rest of my rebate. That does not answer my question, it only would have meant that I would be frustrated and confused about this earlier

Can anyone clear this up for me? Anyone I talk to thinks this must be some mistake.

Also, my hubby is worried about declaring his world income because he does not want to be taxed on it twice, he already paid dutch taxes on it. Does anyone know what effect declaring his world income will have?
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