An Introduction To Tax Issues For Investors And Canadian Immigrants

By Scott Wallace


When relocating to a new country either for business or as part of a permanent move, taxation is always bound to be an issue. Every country has its rules, so you may find things pretty different from what you have been accustomed to. These insights on tax issues for investors and Canadian immigrants should help ease your settling in.

In Canadian jurisdiction, a person becomes mandated to pay his taxes based on what his residency status is. For this reason, you must ensure your paperwork is up to date. If you had already been given a residency permit and are currently working or running a local business, it is a crime to fail to register with the authorities and pay your taxes.

Generally, the day that an immigrant gets recognized as an official resident by the Canadian government is the day that person becomes tax liable. This may happen upon arrival or the chase for valid paperwork may last years. Other factors that the authorities consider include the ownership of property within the country and marriage 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.

In case you have been transferred by your employer to the country, make sure you avoid being taxed excessively. The date your employer posts you matters a lot as the government will use it to determine the amount that you ought to pay. Ensure your travel log and employment letters indicate when you got posted in detail.

Before you start paying up, ensure you get a tax identification number. Without it, you may be deemed to have evaded tax in future investigations. Remember all returns must be filed by the end of April every year.




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