An Introduction To Tax Issues For Investors And Canadian Immigrants

By Scott Wallace


When moving to a different country either to live there permanently or simply to do business, one challenge you are certain to experience is getting a full understanding of its tax laws. Each nation has its unique laws, so it may be a while before you get the full lowdown of what you need to do. These insights detail basic tax issues for investors and Canadian immigrants and may just be what you need.

Under Canadian law, an individual becomes eligible to pay tax based on what his residency status is. As such, you should know where you stand in terms of immigration paperwork from the word go. If the authorities have already issued you with your residency documentation and you have started running your business locally, it is mandatory to register with the taxman in order to avoid breaking the law.

In general, the date that you become mandated to start paying tax is the day the government officially recognizes your residency status in Canada. This can happen as soon as you land at the airport or it may take years if you have issues with the immigration department. Other things that the government looks at include property ownership within the country or if you are married to a Canadian.

Once your tax residency is established, you will be required to pay your taxes and file returns every year. The law requires duly registered residents to pay levies on income generated worldwide. This means if you have income coming in from a business you own overseas, that income is considered taxable. Canadians residing overseas are however subjected to taxation only for the income they make within the country.

One factor that most immigrants often overlook when relocating is analyzing the difference between their new levy rates and what they are accustomed to paying. As your overseas income will be levied, you may be surprised to get a higher or lower levy rate depending on what your parent country used to charge. If you avoid analyzing this before your move, you may end up with very little at the end of the month and regret your move. Do whatever is necessary to find out about this beforehand.

Canada views taxable income as possibly originating from plenty of sources, which is not different from what many countries do. Sources include employment and investment income. For investment income, the state bills businesses located locally and overseas for residents. Regardless of what your sources are, the fact is that you ought to be prepared to get taxed.

If you are relocating due to a job transfer, you must know what to do to avoid excess taxation. Pay special attention to the date you get posted as the authorities will use this to calculate how much you owe the state. There should be a clear distinction between the day you became a resident and the day you were yet to get registered.

Before you commence your payments, you should get a tax ID number. Those who transact business without it often get charged with tax evasion following government audits. The last day of April each year is the deadline for returns filing.




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