Becoming a Non Resident Canadian

Hi,
My name is Kamran (35) and currently living in Calgary-Canada. In 2011 I am planning to try my luck in UAE in the Banking sector as I will complete my Diploma in Business Admin (Accounts/Finance) from Bow Valley College Calgary.

My questions are:
1- What are the good tips to get a job in Banking sector in UAE if possible by giving online interviews/or on telephone or do I have to visit and go through?

2- Should I become a Non Resident if I get a job there? I do not hold any Mortgage/house, no RRSP, no RESP, I will close my Bank Accounts and credit cards, I am ready to stop the child benefit tax too but what about the driving license. I will need it in UAE.

3-If after working a few years I decide to come back to Canada and takes my savings or any money (given by parents in Inheritance) back to Canada what CRA will treat with me, do they cut any tax on any money that you bring into Canada earned or unearned, what would be the situation in a resident or non resident?

I will highly appreciate your kind help.

Thanks,

Kamran

To become non-resident of canada while going to UAE requires getting rid of everything Cdn. This includes your DL. You should get UAE DL.

Note that this is not like going to US, where the tax treaty allows you to be non-resident of canada simply by having "more" ties in US than canada. The UAE treaty does not allow that.

So, get rid of everything except Cdn passport. You would not be entitled to CCTB anywys.

You should not have any plans to come back. If you come back after several years, it should be clear that this was a change in yourplans, not something you always intended. Getting rid of every Cdn tie is the way to do this.

Hi,

But what about if I come back after a couple of years and bring my savings or any inheritance money with me. What does the CRA treat ? Do they take tax or not on the money earned outside Canada ?

Thanks,

Kamran

Canada taxes INCOME while resident, no wealth already held.

sorry - new to forum.
do I post a becoming-a-non-resident question I have re. moving to Jordan on this thread? or start a new post?

Hi,
I am going to sart a new job as a civilan in Afghanistan (Helmand).
I really dont know what to do with my residency status as I will not be living in Canada (therefore I obviously do not wanna pay taxes) but wont be a resident anywhere else (as I live on a military camp in Afghanistan)
I do not own anything in Canada besides a bank account.
Do I apply for non-residency? Do I wait a bit to see? Or do I just open an account abroad (I was thinking in the UK, but then I got a problem of the origin of that money if ever I wanna buy a house here!)?
I plan on coming back in Canada after a year or 2..
Thanks for any advice you can provide, I've been looking everywhere but this is extremely complicated!!

It is unlikely that you will be considered non-resident, so just plan on paying Cdn tax on your income. Where you bank is located doesn't matter.

You would really need to leave permanently to become non-resident of a non-treaty country, and not come back for MANY years.

Hi,
I'll be moving with my family (wife and kids) to work in an int'l school in Jordan (has a tax treaty with Canada). I will be paying income tax there (but reimbursed by school), and intend to move on in due course within the int'l school circuit for the next 10 years or so, before eventually retiring back to Canada (at least that's our current plans). We will be selling our cars, and boxing up and either shipping or storing personal effects. Import duty is high in Jordan (even applied to personal effects it seems); voltage is different; housing as supplied by school is fully furnished and equipped, so makes no sense to ship any furniture, appliances, etc. We do plan to take clothes, kids toys, kitchen knives, cutlery, some key utensils (we're keen in the kitchen), photos, too many books, teaching and work resources, key decor items (paintings, textiles, some knick knacks, etc), some special bedding, linens, etc.

We will return to Canada for summer vacations to a property that we own, but hope to rent it out (furnished with stuff that doesn't make sense to bring to Jordan) for the other 11 months of the year while we are in Jordan. Do we have to formalize this with a lease, or can we manage this informally via friends (several have expressed interest in renting from us while we are away - its a cottage property on a lake)

In order to manage our property, seems difficult (in talking to other ex-pats) to do so without maintaining a checking account (to pay taxes, utilities, etc), although we have spoken to the bank about converting it to a non-resident account. We will cancel our OHIP, but hope to keep Ont driver's licenses since the CAA International D/L requires a provincially held one, and can't get a Jordanian D/L for several months (and not sure if an int'l D/L can be issued against a Jordanian D/L).

We hold OMERS and Teacher's pension plans, which are vested and so would prefer not to cash out (not even sure yet if we can cash out) but my read of tax treaty seems to exclude pensions as determining factor. Same question on RESPs - think we should be able to leave them intact (although will notify and suspend further contributions) - they are in our kids names.

Should we cash in our RRSPs, or are they exempt due to the same pension clause in the tax treaty? If so, if we wait to cash out after the day we leave Canada, does only withholding tax of 25% apply (such that we should still contribute our final RRSP room for 2010 now (get incremental tax credit of 40+%), then once out of country withdraw RRSPs and pay non-resident withholding tax)? We have a LOC that we should also close out - intend to do so immediately if we need to cash out RRSPs, or otherwise will transfer LOC to Jordan once establish banking there.

Help, anyone have any experience as a Cdn ex-pat in Jordan?