Cdn non-resident with only bank interest - must I even file?

[mappiq]

I am a non-resident of Canada (I am a resident of the USA, where I live and work) for the entire 2017 tax year.
I have bank accounts in Canada and earn interest. This bank interest is the [b]only[/b] income I earn in Canada.
I believe that the tax rate on bank interest for non-residents is 0%, so I do not owe any taxes in Canada whatsoever. [paragraph 212(1)(b)]
Can anyone please confirm this?

Now for my question:

Assuming the above is true, I would therefore owe $0 of tax in Canada. Do I have to file a Canadian tax return? Or does this mean that I do not have to file a Canadian return at all?

[Obviously I have to report, file, and pay tax on this in the USA; the question is only regarding Canada.]

[nelsona]

Bank interest, even if it was not zero, would not be reported on a tax return in Canada by non-residents. It would be subject to a flat tax as final tax in Canada.

So, for all those reasons: non-resident, % tax rate and flat tax , you do not file a return.

HOWEVER, this begs the question aboutr whether or not you took care of any departure requirements rom when you left Canada (assuming you were resident at one time).

[mappiq]

There is no departure tax, since I officially emigrated in summer of 2016 and consequently dealt with departure already. In 2016 I also liquidated all my assets (sold my investments) and put the money in interest-bearing non-registered bank accounts. That's all done pre-2017. So for all of 2017 I am a Canadian non-resident with only bank interest. I told my banks about my non-resident status. They haven't taken off any tax.

So, as far as I understand, for me, there's no 2017 Canadian tax at all. And therefore I don't even have to file a 2017 return. I, excitingly, don't have to do anything at all in Canada this upcoming April 2018. Right?

[nelsona]

That is what I was asking: Did you handle your departure tax and obligations in 2016?

[mappiq]

Yep.
Good to know that I'm henceforth done with Canadian taxes and filing, even though I get Canadian bank interest.
Thanks!

[mappiq]

Someone advised me, though, that even though I don't *have* to file a (non-resident) Canadian return (since, as stated above, my taxable income was 0), I *should* do it anyway to ensure that my past Tuition Credits continue to be carried forward. The idea being that, if I return to Canada several years from now, I may lose my Tuition Credits if I don't keep reporting that I'm carrying them forward. Is there any truth to this?

[quote="mappiq"]Yep.
Good to know that I'm henceforth done with Canadian taxes and filing, even though I get Canadian bank interest.
Thanks![/quote]

[nelsona]

Not true. CRA keeps track of all these things. You should too, but not by useless filing.