I am a retired Canadian living here. Have been Asia for well over ten years. Because I am on a pension I am not a non-resident Canadian for tax purposes. I had a tax expert tell me that it was not worth it for a guy on a pension.
Just renewed my passport in Vancouver. I go to Canada about once a year. It was obvious that Passport Canada staff are under instructions to identify those living out of the country. The employee examined all the stamps and visas. Had me write down my address in Asia and phone number. Basically interrogated me.
Question: What are the tax implications if any living out of Canada while stating one lives in Canada on the tax forms? Also how many months does it take before B.C. medical is cut off while abroad?
Canadians living here- question
-
- Bark plop plop bark woof woof
- Reactions: 8
- Posts: 1627
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 8:57 am
I cant really comment too much on the tax implications for retirees who are non-residents but since you still go back to Canada once a year you still might be considered a resident for tax purposes based on various ties to Canada. The rules are a bit unclear. As far as i know its actually kinda complicated to become a full non-resident for tax purposes. Youll need to check in to that. Unless you have legally been deemed a non resident for tax then you should have filed your taxes just as you would have if you had been living in Canada.
AS for BC medical - you are now allowed two x 6 month periods outside of Canada within 5 calendar years. In some circumstances you can be allowed longer periods out of the country and still keep your provincial medical but that usually needs to be requested beforehand. For BC medical if you have been out of the country more than that and they find out they will re-assess your past 7 years of residency for BC medical entitlement. If you have used the medical system and they find out and you are deemed a non resident during that time then they can come back and try and recoup medical costs. On the flip side, if have paid MSP premiums during time that you were a n actual non resident for Medical then they would pay that back to you.
One thing to note - Being classified as a non resident for Tax purposes and for BC Medical are two different things and based of totally different criteria,
AS for BC medical - you are now allowed two x 6 month periods outside of Canada within 5 calendar years. In some circumstances you can be allowed longer periods out of the country and still keep your provincial medical but that usually needs to be requested beforehand. For BC medical if you have been out of the country more than that and they find out they will re-assess your past 7 years of residency for BC medical entitlement. If you have used the medical system and they find out and you are deemed a non resident during that time then they can come back and try and recoup medical costs. On the flip side, if have paid MSP premiums during time that you were a n actual non resident for Medical then they would pay that back to you.
One thing to note - Being classified as a non resident for Tax purposes and for BC Medical are two different things and based of totally different criteria,
Thanks very much for your info. I do file a Canadian tax return each year. It is not my intention to become a non-resident for tax purposes.
-
- Bark plop plop bark woof woof
- Reactions: 8
- Posts: 1627
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 8:57 am
I'm assuming you're from BC as you mentioned Vancouver. This link has more info.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/heal ... emporarily
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/heal ... emporarily
- Orichá
- I have some social problems
- Reactions: 70
- Posts: 551
- Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2015 10:20 pm
- Location: unknown
Hmmm. I would not bother with tax forms if you live outside Canada. I never have. The reason I mention this comes as an aside to your main question: you are not at all taxable in Canada for income earned outside Canada unless you repatriate the money. Do they tax pension cheques in Canada? Well, maybe you do have to file a return in that case since the money is paid to you in Canada whether you live there or not. And so, as for being a resident or nonresident retiree, I don't think it matters or makes much difference, tax-wise, unless you are a millionaire. Will they not pay you your pension if you say you are a nonresident, or fail to file a tax return?
I left Canada around 1993, and stopped filing Canadian tax returns about the same time. If you are living overseas there is no need or requirement to do tax forms in Canada unless you are foolish enough to transfer any foreign earnings back home into a Canadian bank account. But even then, unless you had mountains of money, nobody is going to notice a few thousand transfered here and there every year or two. Just forget about the tax forms, much easier, and they will forget about you, too; unless you are a lover of bureaucracy or keep all your cash in Canadian banks (no thanks). Perhaps you are afraid your pension cheques won't come if you fail to fill out a tax form? I don't really know about that as I am too young. Anyway, I don't expect to collect a penny from Canada once I get to retirement age, so I don't much care.
I do not travel back to Canada very often, but have never been grilled renewing my passport. Better to renew your passport overseas. Last time, they gave me a ten-year passport for the price of a five-year via the UK embassy in Phnom Penh, coordinating with Canada's embassy in Thailand. Good luck.
I left Canada around 1993, and stopped filing Canadian tax returns about the same time. If you are living overseas there is no need or requirement to do tax forms in Canada unless you are foolish enough to transfer any foreign earnings back home into a Canadian bank account. But even then, unless you had mountains of money, nobody is going to notice a few thousand transfered here and there every year or two. Just forget about the tax forms, much easier, and they will forget about you, too; unless you are a lover of bureaucracy or keep all your cash in Canadian banks (no thanks). Perhaps you are afraid your pension cheques won't come if you fail to fill out a tax form? I don't really know about that as I am too young. Anyway, I don't expect to collect a penny from Canada once I get to retirement age, so I don't much care.
I do not travel back to Canada very often, but have never been grilled renewing my passport. Better to renew your passport overseas. Last time, they gave me a ten-year passport for the price of a five-year via the UK embassy in Phnom Penh, coordinating with Canada's embassy in Thailand. Good luck.
"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
...Hannah Arendt
...Hannah Arendt
I got asked three times but the same Canadian “Where the fuck is Canada bank! People keep telling me it’s here and there and I end up at the same fucking place. No Canada bank!”
pew, pew, pew, pew!
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
Anybody here from Denmark with kids around 2-4yo living in PP
by Rune » Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:47 pm » in Family, children and relationships - 0 Replies
- 1762 Views
-
Last post by Rune
Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:47 pm
-
-
-
What is living in the province in Siem Reap like?
by Calcetin » Wed Jun 07, 2023 6:52 pm » in Cambodia Speakeasy - 2 Replies
- 589 Views
-
Last post by Calcetin
Wed Jun 07, 2023 7:33 pm
-
-
-
Is living in a Highrise Building good ?
by Expatissimo » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:30 pm » in Houses, Apartments and Real Estate - 25 Replies
- 6422 Views
-
Last post by YaTingPom
Thu Sep 16, 2021 7:58 am
-
-
-
How happy are you living in Cambodia? Poll.
by Londo » Sat Sep 09, 2023 1:33 pm » in Cambodia Speakeasy - 22 Replies
- 5620 Views
-
Last post by ali baba
Wed Sep 13, 2023 5:42 pm
-