# Did not provide my employer the tuition tax credit. Can I get back my overpaid tax?



## gui0506 (Mar 2, 2015)

Hello, I graduated from university last year and started working on February 2014.
I have a lot of tuition credit can be used to reduce the tax. But I did not provide my employee the amount. (Seems like I should do so by providing them TD1 form, but they never asked and I did not know I should..)
As a result, they deducted more tax than I should pay. 

My questions are:
- How can I get back my overpaid tax? (my employer already submit the money to CRA)
- Will I get any penalties? 

Thanks for any help.


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## Guban (Jul 5, 2011)

File your 2014 tax return. No penalties. Enjoy the big refund! Depending on how much you are making, and how much tuition/education amounts you are carrying forward, you may be enjoying big refunds for years to come.

When I read the TD1 form, it asks if you *are* a student. It doesn't ask how much tuition/education amounts you are carrying forward.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

Yeah, the problem with declaring it on the TD1 form is your employer will think you have those tuition credits every year. So in the year you do not, you will end up owing money when you file your tax return. In my opinion, you are best to leave it off the TD1 and as Guban says, enjoy the refund.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

OptsyEagle said:


> Yeah, the problem with declaring it on the TD1 form is your employer will think you have those tuition credits every year. So in the year you do not, you will end up owing money when you file your tax return. In my opinion, you are best to leave it off the TD1 and as Guban says, enjoy the refund.


Absolutely. The TD1 form should not be used for variable changes, e.g. one off, changes. It really is meant to catch the big picture. One would only submit a revision to a TD1 if status changed, e.g. marriage, child, separation, spouse goes back to work, etc.


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## WiseOwl (Jan 1, 2015)

The other posters have covered the question asked. However, just to add in some other potential areas for you (and others) to consider:

- If you had any student loans and paid interest on them during the year, don't forget to deduct that interest.

- If you had an unlimited bus pass during the year, you can claim the cost of that bus pass (some universities 'force' the cost of unlimited passes on students--note that single-use tickets don't qualify).

- When you claim your tuition on your tax return, the program should also automatically claim the textbook and education amounts;

- If you had any child care expenses that you incurred while you went to school full-time, you may be able to claim these expenses (some limits apply);

- If you moved for your post-secondary education during the year and were a full-time student, you should look into claiming moving expenses (the moving expenses can be deducted against taxable scholarships/bursaries/grants included in your income);

- If you graduated and moved to start a new job (including summer jobs), you can claim moving expenses against income from your new work location provided that your new home is at least 40 kilometers closer to your new work location.


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## Allan Madan (Jan 23, 2015)

Submit an T1 Adjustment return to CRA to claim your tuition tax credits.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

From the sound of things OP has not yet filed a tax return, so there is no T1 Adjustment to file.

To OP: the employer's deductions are only an estimate of your income tax. Your final tax bill is determined when you file your income tax return (T1) for the year. At that time you can report your tuition and eduction credits. If too much tax has been withheld, CRA will reimburse you.


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## lostamonkey (Dec 2, 2014)

We get a new TD1 form every January. Isn't this standard in most jobs?


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## WiseOwl (Jan 1, 2015)

OhGreatGuru said:


> From the sound of things OP has not yet filed a tax return, so there is no T1 Adjustment to file.
> 
> To OP: the employer's deductions are only an estimate of your income tax. Your final tax bill is determined when you file your income tax return (T1) for the year. At that time you can report your tuition and eduction credits. If too much tax has been withheld, CRA will reimburse you.


+1


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

lostamonkey said:


> We get a new TD1 form every January. Isn't this standard in most jobs?


It wasn't when I worked in the public service. So I suspect it depends on the employer.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

gui0506 said:


> Hello, I graduated from university last year....
> 
> My questions are:...
> - How can I get back my overpaid tax?...


It is a sad commentary on our education system that a university graduate does not know the answer to a fairly basic question about how our income tax system works. This is not preparing people for life in the real world.


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