# Expatriate Canadians (or former ones) care to share stories?



## Robillard (Apr 11, 2009)

In case anyone wonders what happened to me, Robillard, I was laid off in September 2013. And I was a bit too ashamed to show my face on this forum for a while. With the exception of some brief interludes for previously planned holidays, I survived on EI payments and Kraft Dinner (I'm exaggerating a bit) for 10 months before finally getting a new job... outside of Canada. I recently relocated to a tax haven that gets too much sun and puts Toronto's summer humidity to shame: Doha, Qatar.

Anyways, I decided to start this thread to see if any expatriates or former expatriates have some stories to share. If you have any tax stories about how to order your personal finances, that would be awesome. 

The most absurd thing I have seen or heard so far in Doha is when I went to the branch of a local bank where I set up my local bank accounts. I asked about setting a US dollar savings account and making a deposit with a bank draft. The customer service service rep. told me that the bank had a policy of charging a 1% service charge on both deposits and withdrawals from the account. I'm not sure how one is expected to save anything then on a savings account currently paying 1% interest.

Actually, I got some clarification from another employee later that the service charge was on deposits and withdrawals of US dollar bills, and didn't apply to inter-account transfers. Still, it sounds like a pretty ridiculous service charge.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

First thing I'd ask you, is have you applied for or been 'awarded' non-resident status.....if you don't have to pay tax...don't.

Been a long time, but I (and numerous others) kept my money offshore (Jersey - Channel Islands......but there are others) and my money was direct deposited there.

Hope all goes well for you....stick it out, don't piss away your money (as many ex-pats do), and SAVE!


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

I was an ex-pat in a tax haven for five years, in the Cayman Islands. Once you clear the two-year hurdle it's great; just make sure that you satisfy the Canadian government's requirements for tax-free status. Ask your accountant about the specific guidelines. Essentially you have to sever most ties with Canada and not maintain a residence for two years, so you cannot have Canadian health care etc. After the two year period anything you make or have made up to that point is completely tax-free. But if you come back within that two years, you must pay full tax on everything you've earned up to that point.

God I miss warm, tax-free nights in the middle of January. And snorkelling every day. And Seymour's Jerk Chicken. And picking mangos in my back yard. And... and... and...


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Nemo2 said:


> First thing I'd ask you, is have you applied for or been 'awarded' non-resident status.....if you don't have to pay tax...don't.
> 
> Been a long time, but I (and numerous others) kept my money offshore (Jersey - Channel Islands......but there are others) and my money was direct deposited there.
> 
> Hope all goes well for you....stick it out, don't piss away your money (as many ex-pats do), and SAVE!




the ageing playboy speaks! oh the horror, see how a lifetime of living off inherited wealth & trust income has shrunk down to chasing frugality tips & inexpensive cruises on low-life grub forums like cmf!

neem oh you must have broken rule numero uno for silver spoons, which goes Never. Ever. Invade. Capital.

you must have squandered the capital. Pee eye ess ess eee dee it away, as you gracefully put it. The hardworking ancestors who made the money in the first place must be reeling in their graves.

bet they knew a commie from a fascist from a totalitarian, though.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> the ageing playboy speaks! oh the horror, see how a lifetime of living off inherited wealth & trust income has shrunk down to chasing frugality tips & inexpensive cruises on low-life grub forums like cmf!
> 
> neem oh you must have broken rule numero uno for silver spoons, which goes Never. Ever. Invade. Capital.
> 
> ...


In 1969 my father died, (my mother died some 6 years earlier), in the rented basement apartment in which I spent my life before I left 'home' at 17.........my father never owned a car, a TV, a fridge........we had no hot water in the apartment, no heat, boiled up water to take baths in the kitchen, and the toilet was outside.................care to compare, or are you talking through your *** as usual?


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Nemo2 said:


> In 1969 my father died, (my mother died some 6 years earlier), in the rented basement apartment in which I spent my life before I left 'home' at 17.........my father never owned a car, a TV, a fridge........we had no hot water in the apartment, no heat, boiled up water to take baths in the kitchen, and the toilet was outside.................care to compare, or are you talking through your *** as usual?




LOL what a sendup. You are so good at fanciful fiction neem oh.

this fairytale is too much, it really does reek ... perhaps if you told about the kitchen in latin you might have a better chance of success?


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> LOL what a sendup. You are so good at fanciful fiction neem oh.
> 
> this fairytale is too much, it really does reek ... perhaps if you told about the kitchen in latin you might have a better chance of success?


Every single word is true......I don't lie.

I was born in London, England, in the middle of WWII......(my father lost everything, including any ambition to get back on the horse, in the 1929 market crash), the roof of the multi storey house, where my parents rented the basement, was blown off and adjacent houses, and those across the street, totally destroyed..........as kids we played among the bomb rubble that in various locations remained for years........the older kids would sometimes herd us into jerry built 'structures' and throw bricks at them until they collapsed on top of us.

I 'inherited' a few bucks from my father when he died, (nothing from my mother's side....as I'd long since disappeared into the outer world), and some more from one of his sisters circa 1997......actual & relative pittances.

And I don't consider that I've had it 'hard'; ergo I have limited patience with champagne socialists!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

sorry your story doesn't add up

you've already showed us the photograph of your parents in canada, looking sumptuously well-turned-out & prosperous ... maman with the pearls & the stern gaze ... a service lodge portrait ... remember it?

it wasn't wartime england. It was ontario. Well-to-do, rich old WASP ontario. You were there.

the schools they sent you to? it's those snot-nosed private boys schools in port hope & elsewhere that taught youths in your era both latin & the harsh, brittle, superficial sneering attitudes that disfigure so many of your messages.

posting in cmf forum how great it is to be able to root for both sides in a hideous war, which is exactly what you said yesterday, is disgraceful imho.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> sorry your story doesn't add up
> 
> you've already showed us the photograph of your parents in canada, looking sumptuously well-turned-out & prosperous ... maman with the pearls & the stern gaze ... a service lodge portrait ... remember it?
> 
> ...


http://canadianmoneyforum.com/showthread.php/18977-The-photography-thread/page2 Post #20

And I quote:


> Here's one of my maternal grandparents


Perhaps, with your apparent cognitive skills deficit, you are incapable of comprehending that my 'grandparents' are not my parents?

There is also no mention of Ontario, (my maternal grandfather owned a small pork butcher's shop in Kent, England).....but perhaps dementia causes one to see things that aren't there, (or is it that a large laxative doseage might be the appropriate treatment?)

As to being educated in Latin, or indeed 'educated' at all, there's this: http://www.boomerandecho.com/the-effect-of-serendipity-on-retirement/ a lead in with subsequent comments.


humble_pie said:


> posting in cmf forum how great it is to be able to root for both sides in a hideous war, which is exactly what you said yesterday, is disgraceful imho.


I believe I indicated that I was rooting _against_ both sides......do try to keep up.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Nemo2 said:


> In 1969 my father died, (my mother died some 6 years earlier), in the rented basement apartment in which I spent my life before I left 'home' at 17.........my father never owned a car, a TV, a fridge........we had no hot water in the apartment, no heat, boiled up water to take baths in the kitchen, and the toilet was outside.................care to compare, or are you talking through your *** as usual?


Holy....cannot believe such conditions were in England.... Looks like in CCCP really was heaven comparing to England... and I didn't believed Soviet propoganda 
My parents in 1969 owned apartment, include fridge, TV, toulet inside, even we had cottage (as majaority of Soviet people) and my parent were regular engineers/technicians and out household monthly income was around $120-150


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)




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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

gibor said:


> Holy....cannot believe such conditions were in England.... Looks like in CCCP really was heaven comparing to England... and I didn't believed Soviet propoganda
> My parents in 1969 owned apartment, include fridge, TV, toulet inside, even we had cottage (as majaority of Soviet people) and my parent were regular engineers/technicians and out household monthly income was around $120-150


My father, after losing his 'all' in the crash, especially all ambition, worked at relatively menial clerking/grocery store jobs from then on......he had nothing left except his pride.......kids I hung around with, often with parents on benefits, had the things we didn't have, courtesy of the taxpayer.........he refused to. I didn't quite understand as a kid...but I did later.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

sorry about the grandparents/parents mixup but let's not pick nits.

those are extraordinarily, sumptuously prosperous ancestors. Many years ago, you had assets that were substantial enough to keep or hide in a hyper-costly tax haven. You've already told us the tax haven was Jersey.

everyone suffered in the war. You're bringing up trivia. My point - that your family was rich, that you're an ageing playboy who's scarcely worked a day in his life - remains.

"rooting" for sides in a bloodcurdling war - whether for or against - is, if i may repeat, disgraceful. It's inhuman.

as for the rest of your insults, i do beg of you to remember that this is a finance forum. There are an awesome number of experts on here. You are not one of them.

many persons flock here to share information, perforce to learn something, about finance.

you do have budget travel tips to contribute & these are greatly appreciated. However, their value is outweighed by the neverending toxic sneers, the insults, the shrill blaming, the war-mongering & the crypto-rightwing cheap cracks. One has only to look at your immediate previous post, where you manage to lower yourself to scatological filth. I don't suppose you have any idea how weak you sound.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> sorry about the grandparents/parents mixup but let's not pick nits.


Pick nits? You, not once but repeatedly, called me a blatant liar with regard to my own life.......you attack, and then cry foul when I retaliate...no wonder you're a rabid supporter of Hamas, you both work from the same playbook.



humble_pie said:


> those are extraordinarily, sumptuously prosperous ancestors.


As I said, my grandfather owned a small pork butcher shop, in which he worked damn hard - also, in those days, people dressed up for occasions.



humble_pie said:


> Many years ago, you had assets that were substantial enough to keep or hide in a hyper-costly tax haven. You've already told us the tax haven was Jersey.


 I was responding to the OP, who is working offshore, and as Indexxx has noted, for the CRA to grant non-resident status, one has to 'sever ties with Canada'.

The money that went into Jersey was in compliance with CRA rulings at the time, (thank God you're not advising the OP); I had *already* been granted non-residence status, and was not subject to Canadian taxation. I did however need somewhere, (since I wasn't banking in Canada), to put my money.......is this something you're able to comprehend? 





humble_pie said:


> everyone suffered in the war. You're bringing up trivia.


 ROFL... I thought it was only the Palestinians who 'suffered'?


humble_pie said:


> My point - that your family was rich, that you're an ageing playboy who's scarcely worked a day in his life - remains.


 Again with the accusations of lying? And then to have the audacity to complain that I'm 'insulting' you......you really are delusional! 

I hardly worked because I took jobs, (as with the dam in the north of Australia, driving truck, etc), spent little, saved my money, and then traveled, which, I'd suggest, is exactly the kind of valid input that many threads here seek.

I spent the better part of a decade in Saudi Arabia, and that is where the foundation for our current worth, (which has since multiplied, I'm currently worth 3X what I had when I left there) comes from. 
Basically I led a frugal life, saved money, and am now appreciating the benefits



humble_pie said:


> "rooting" for sides in a bloodcurdling war - whether for or against - is, if i may repeat, disgraceful. It's inhuman.


Au contraire. War is very human.



humble_pie said:


> as for the rest of your insults, i do beg of you to remember that this is a finance forum. There are an awesome number of experts on here. You are not one of them.


 I ceased working when I was 46...I started off poor...I saw the world...I'm happy...there are _some_ that might consider that 'expertise'........perhaps even more so than memorizing historical CPI and interest rates?




humble_pie said:


> the neverending toxic sneers, the insults, the shrill blaming, the war-mongering & the crypto-rightwing cheap cracks. One has only to look at your immediate previous post, where you manage to lower yourself to scatological filth. I don't suppose you have any idea how weak you sound.


Are there no mirrors in your house?


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

neem it's you who uses the "L" word, not myself

to be truthful, i've never found you interesting in the past. Now, less than zero.

i'm not able to respect seniors who keep trying to hijack this forum & turn it into social media where they can crank their rants & prattle their peeves. There are other media for reminiscences.

perhaps i haven't been clear enough? this is a finance forum. Your racist sneers don't belong here, imho. I don't mind a few - i'm a broad-minded & tolerant person - but when it comes to bigots pointing blame fingers & lobbing hatred at most of the world, many times a day, my view is that they are harming the spirit of what is supposed to take place here.

to be precise & specific, i could easily tolerate an anti-moslem sneer a few times a year from a party who for some reason feels compelled to deliver the same, but no more. An unprovoked, unsolicited anti-obama or anti-trudeau sneer, coming out of the blue for no reason as yours always do, maybe once a year.

but ooh là, how you do go on & on & on & on! day after day, the spiteful & disdainful harangues never stop


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> neem it's you who uses the "L" word, not myself


 Exhibit 'A' :


humble_pie said:


> You are so good at fanciful fiction neem oh.
> 
> this fairytale is too much, it really does reek


 Geez, you even lie about not lying...is it pathological?

(BTW, it's ME, not MYSELF......I thought you were supposed to be some kind of journalist, in what language, Swahili?)


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

my, my. We are obsessing with the "L" word, aren't we?

look at the insults you've littered here! me i said you are an ageing playboy. I'm still going with that.

but you, you're massively into the filth & the excrement.
now it's even my grammar.

"myself" is perfectly grammatical, although i agree that my usage was somewhat archaic. Identical examples abound throughout english literature.

you seem to be fond of shakespeare. From _Macbeth_, Act 4, scene 3:

Malcolm: 

_"It is myself I mean, in whom i know ..."_

i'm using the word in the sense of "my self"
the archaic trace is to sharpen the distinction between "my" self & "thy" self


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> *my, my. We are obsessing with the "L" word, aren't we?
> now it's even my grammar.
> 
> "myself" is perfectly grammatical, although i agree that my usage was somewhat archaic. Identical examples abound throughout english literature.
> ...


*

Myself is a reflexive or stressed pronoun, which means that, generally speaking, it should be used in conjunction with the subject pronoun I, not instead of the object pronoun me.



humble_pie said:



oh the horror, see how a lifetime of living off inherited wealth & trust income has shrunk down to chasing frugality tips & inexpensive cruises on low-life grub forums like cmf!

neem oh you must have broken rule numero uno for silver spoons, which goes Never. Ever. Invade. Capital.

you must have squandered the capital. Pee eye ess ess eee dee it away, as you gracefully put it. The hardworking ancestors who made the money in the first place must be reeling in their graves.

Click to expand...




humble_pie said:



LOL what a sendup.  You are so good at fanciful fiction neem oh.

this fairytale is too much, it really does reek ... perhaps if you told about the kitchen in latin you might have a better chance of success?

Click to expand...




humble_pie said:



sorry your story doesn't add up

you've already showed us the photograph of your parents in canada, looking sumptuously well-turned-out & prosperous ... maman with the pearls & the stern gaze ... a service lodge portrait ... remember it?

it wasn't wartime england. It was ontario. Well-to-do, rich old WASP ontario. You were there.

the schools they sent you to? it's those snot-nosed private boys schools in port hope & elsewhere that taught youths in your era both latin & the harsh, brittle, superficial sneering attitudes that disfigure so many of your messages.

Click to expand...

A litany of disparaging remarks rudely disputing my veracity, coupled with claims that you have "Never used the 'L' word".......I can think of an 'L' word, Libel.

Small wonder you name yourself after a food that traditionally was only eaten by those with little or no class.*


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## houska (Feb 6, 2010)

Nemo2, Humble Pie - please take it outside. Please respond further to this thread only if on topic to the OP, and do not respond to each other. I've seen prior contributions by both of you in other threads that I've respected very much. Please let's leave it at that.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

houska said:


> Nemo2, Humble Pie - please take it outside. Please respond further to this thread only if on topic to the OP, and do not respond to each other. I've seen prior contributions by both of you in other threads that I've respected very much. Please let's leave it at that.


I shall heed your request, and I apologize for any disruption to the thread.


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## houska (Feb 6, 2010)

I was an expat (nonresident) for about 10 years (student, then employed); then came back, then a brief 1 year stint as an expat again, before coming back. It can be a great experience if your family circumstances allow.

As others have said, it's important to either stay Canadian resident (pay taxes, but also entitled to services) or sever residential ties. If you don't have that many assets when starting your adventure, it's probably overkill to get professional advice on it, but read up on the rules so you don't do a half-assed job of it.

It's much easier these days to be a Canadian expat than a U.S. one. Due to the IRS' habit of taxing all citizens (not just residents), increasingly many global banks etc will just not open accounts for US citizens. So make sure when trying to set up local financial dealings that you stress you are Canadian and have no U.S. ties.

Where professional advice is worthwhile is when coming back. I screwed up on this myself, and repatriated to Canada with considerable savings without thinking about it. I don't mind paying my share of taxes based on what I have made and am making here -- but had I been more thoughtful about it could have quite legally left assets offshore and just paid tax on the income paid to me here rather than on all the capital growth (this is not automatic since the CRA will see through many nonresident trust arrangements, but not all).


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Is there a definitive guide to expatting and Canadian residency? From what I've gathered there is not...

I've come across information on the net which describes you needing to sell your house, close your bank accounts and transfer your funds out of the country, and move your family to be given the non-residency status.

Others have said that that is pure fear mongering, and that the primary determinant is proving that you are accepted as a permanent resident in a new country, possess a dwelling there, and have employment there. That if these criteria are met you can keep significant assets in Canada (house, bank accounts) and still be granted non-residency.

It sure would be nice to have all the rules completely spelled out thoroughly so that one can make an informed decision of whether they want to pursue a career abroad or not...


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

^

I presume you've looked at the link below, which outlines your tax obligations, and from which you can pretty much determine whether you might pay some tax or none :

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/ndvdls/nnrs-eng.html#txblgtns



> As a non-resident of Canada, you pay tax on income you receive from sources in Canada. *The type of tax you pay and the requirement to file an income tax return depend on the type of income you receive.
> 
> Generally, Canadian income received by a non-resident is subject to Part XIII tax or Part I tax.*
> 
> ...


From my own personal experience, and remembering that interest rates were very high at the time for deposit accounts so I was making execptional returns, I held no stocks in Canada, nor did I have a Canadian bank account.

Again anecdotal: Some people on our project, (I was one), sold whatever properties they owned in Canada, others did not and presumably paid tax on any rental income they received, (this was some time ago and the rules have likely changed).

One caveat....I heard of a guy who sold his house in Toronto prior to going offshore, and due to the rapidly appreciating housing market couldn't afford to repurchase the same house upon his return.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Thanks Cap'n

My primary concern would be ensuring income from employment abroad isn't taxed in Canada, if I were to relocate. Any assets held in Canada being subjected to tax on gains would be small beans comparatively, and I would happily pay that to keep my banking/investing privileges intact in Canada (from the perspective of a relatively young person with relatively high income and relatively few assets).

This is all hypothetical of course. I have no immediate plans of leaving my job in Canada at all.


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Our family spent 3 years in the UAE. We arrived 2 weeks prior to 9/11. It was a stressful yet very good experience for all of us. Pace of life is much more relaxed once you get settled in and it was interesting to be immersed in a totally foreign culture and come to realize what it is like to be a minority on many levels.

The CRA non-resident guidelines are not black and white. Like much of the tax code it seems. The link above is the starting point. It didn't seem to me that the CRA was too interested in our leaving (or coming back). We had no major issues from a tax point of view. The goal is to cut major ties. We did not sell our house but rented it out. One can keep a Canadian bank account and credit card without too much worry (but it's all grey!). RRSPs and TFSAs can be left in situ. Definitely have to relinquish provincial health care coverage. One error I made was not to contribute to our RRSPs the year after we left (having left work halfway through the year). We fixed this upon our return. We had a bit of an edge in terms of non-resident status as we took 4 small children with us to the new country. Pretty clear we were leaving and didn't have a fixed plan to return.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

uptoolate said:


> The CRA non-resident guidelines are not black and white. Like much of the tax code it seems. The link above is the starting point. It didn't seem to me that the CRA was too interested in our leaving (or coming back).


 I seem to recall, (and again this is from memory, and the 'rules' may have changed anyway), that one factor considered was the probability that one would be offshore for a minimum of 1-2 years, (so if someone was on a fixed 6 month contract, say, non-residency may not have been granted). But, as you say, it's all gray.


uptoolate said:


> Definitely have to relinquish provincial health care coverage.


Yes...as part of our return package the company sprang for insurance coverage until OHIP kicked back in.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Nemo2 said:


> Yes...as part of our return package the company sprang for insurance coverage until OHIP kicked back in.


Yup, that is common for intra-company transfer or relocations.
But it is a taxable benefit, drat (at least these days it is).


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Thanks for recounting your story uptoolate. I think one of the worst parts of expatting as far as finances go would be having to give up your Canadian brokerage accounts. Especially if one wants to continue to invest in Canadian and American exchanges from Saudia, Yemen, etc.


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## houska (Feb 6, 2010)

1) You can ask for a determination of status from CRA if you want to be super-safe. Think for most folks not worth it.
2) As I read the above (note this is speculation, not informed...), if you have substantial wealth (e.g. investment portfolio etc), might make sense to consult for professional advice, and perhaps set up a trust or company. As I wrote above, this can be advantageous when coming back, and it seems it might even be advantageous when leaving (you have no bank or brokerage accts, you are merely the beneficiary of a Canadian trust and/or own shares in a Canadian holding company). Again - please this point is speculation, not informed opinion.


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Yes Nemo2, you had to be away at least 2 years to be able to claim non-resident status. Not sure if that has changed in anyway in the last 10 years.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

uptoolate said:


> Yes Nemo2, you had to be away at least 2 years to be able to claim non-resident status. Not sure if that has changed in anyway in the last 10 years.


OK. It's been almost 25 years since I returned from The Magic Kingdom, so I wasn't sure about what may have transpired in the interim.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

peterk said:


> Is there a definitive guide to expatting and Canadian residency? From what I've gathered there is not...
> 
> I've come across information on the net which describes you needing to sell your house, close your bank accounts and transfer your funds out of the country, and move your family to be given the non-residency status.
> 
> ...


You can own a home, as foreign property ownership is not restricted in Canada (as we've learned a thousandfold in Vancouver) but you cannot claim it as your residence. You do not have to close your bank accounts ( I kept mine open and transferred funds home every pay check) but I believe there are limits to how you can utilize them while non-resident. Again, an accountant with ex-pat experience is your friend here. Your funds can stay in Canada. Your family can stay in Canada (they are not 'you' for tax purposes) but be wary of health coverage, insurance etc.


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Your family would be considered a tie to Canada if they stayed. The weight given to that tie by the CRA is uncertain but it is considered. As well, as far as I know, if your family is occupying your previous residence and you could re-occupy it without notice to the occupants then that too would be considered a significant tie. How many 'ties' gets your non-resident status rejected is unclear.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

It (family) is a tie to Canada, but to my knowledge that is not a reason for rejection of non-residency status. The whole point of it is that you, the individual, are giving up YOUR residency. You have free will to be separated from your family for any length of time you so desire, and as long as you have personally met the criteria, you can claim non-residency after two years. We do not file jointly in Canada, so I believe (but may not be correct- a tax accountant would have to be consulted on this) that you can do it. Good point about the previous residence, but again, I don't think it's enough to lose status. I came back from Cayman and stayed with my dad and his wife for six months while I dealt with a health issue, and that did not affect anything up to that point. Granted, that was not my previous residence, and this is getting into murky tax areas. Plus I was not married then, so it was simpler. Book a half hour with your accountant and a list of questions; I'm sure some of us here would be interested in the outcome.


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Both family (immediate - as in spouse and children) and residence (including ease of occupance) are part of the criteria. How much weight the CRA puts on these and other criteria seems to be unknowable to the average person and even to accountants who work in this area. The general advice is to cut as many ties as you can and hope that the CRA doesn't become more like the IRS in terms of maximizing tax revenue.


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## Robillard (Apr 11, 2009)

Here in Doha, I feel like I have traded the taxman for the landlord. Rents here are ridiculous for what you get. And I used to live in Vancouver, so I think I have a reasonable sense of low value-for-rent.


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## BigMFfan (Feb 23, 2013)

uptoolate said:


> Yes Nemo2, you had to be away at least 2 years to be able to claim non-resident status. Not sure if that has changed in anyway in the last 10 years.


Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure the following has been the case for quite a while (from the CRA website):

"Evidence of intention to permanently sever residential ties

1.17 Whether an individual intended to permanently sever residential ties with Canada at the time of his or her departure from Canada is a question of fact to be determined with regard to all of the circumstances of each case. Although length of stay abroad is one factor to be considered in making this determination (that is, as evidence of the individual's intentions upon leaving Canada), the Courts have indicated that *there is no particular length of stay abroad that necessarily results in an individual becoming a non-resident*. Generally, if there is evidence that an individual's return to Canada was foreseen at the time of his or her departure, the CRA will attach more significance to the individual's remaining residential ties with Canada (see ¶ 1.11 – 1.15), in determining whether the individual continued to be a factual resident of Canada subsequent to his or her departure. For example, where, at the time of an individual's departure from Canada, there exists a contract for employment in Canada if and when the individual returns to Canada, the CRA will consider this to be evidence that the individual's return to Canada was foreseen at the time of departure. However, the CRA would have to review each individual's situation on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the individual's remaining residential ties with Canada, including the contract of employment, are sufficient to conclude that the individual continues to be resident in Canada."


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Yes that sounds about right. Gray, grey and more gray! Almost as if the CRA wants to reserve the right to decide any which way it wants. In speaking with different accountants and people who have spoken to their accountants, it seems that this 2 year number keeps coming up but the quote from the CRA site is undeniable.


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## Time4earlyretirement (Feb 21, 2014)

Can anyone comment on what types of jobs are available in offshore countries? (i.e Luxembourg, Cayman, Bermuda etc...) I've noticed theyre mostly accounting or actuarial, but what about finance?


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

humble_pie said:


> the ageing playboy speaks! oh the horror, see how a lifetime of living off inherited wealth & trust income has shrunk down to chasing frugality tips & inexpensive cruises on low-life grub forums like cmf!
> 
> neem oh you must have broken rule numero uno for silver spoons, which goes Never. Ever. Invade. Capital.
> 
> ...


This is an example of the bad state that this forum degraded to. Before the capricious nature of the Mods made it much worse.


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## LBCfan (Jan 13, 2011)

You are correct. However, it did not drive me away, it lightened up my day (as in I don't have to/want to/do this, although once in a long while encouraged by an extra beer I might go overboard), it's entertaining if there is only a very small amount of it.


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