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Q:

I am a dual citizen (Canada + US). I am working as an expat in Canada (I work for a US company). I have been in Canada 2 years after several years posted in Holland and 15 years in US. I want to buy a house in Canada - perhaps retire here (not sure). I will likely have an assignment in US before retiring. Question: Is it a mistake to buy a house in Canada at this time?

A:

Canada runs from Cape Spears in Newfoundland to Tofino on the West coast of Vancouver Island, a distance of some 8,200 Km through Canada and about 7200 Km if you take the shortest route through the US. I have driven every single km of the way a couple of times and can think of marvelous places to buy in Newfoundland at Maryston or St Anthony or St John's or Louisburg or Lunenburg in Nova Scotia, Mont St Marie in Quebec, etc., etc., etc.

If you asked me about a street corner, I might have a better idea.

However, in general, if you have any intention of retiring to Canada and our superior medical system, etc., UI can NOT think of a better investment than to buy a property where you want to retire whether it is Tofino, BC, Selkirk, Manitoba or Maryston in Newfoundland.

Rent it out to someone in the meantime and have a paid for or almost paid for place to move into 10 or 20 years from now at today's price.

I and 54 other people contributed to an interesting Real Estate book published by Ozzie Jurock. Yep, there are more than 50 authors, all with a particular specialty. Get hold of "REAL ESTATE ACTION" for about $25.00 at realestateactionbook.com.

If you buy the book from Ozzie and you still feel you need a consultation with me, I will take the price of the book off the consultation fee.

And if I thought it was a mistake for you to buy, I would be selling my house. No way JOSE!

Q:

I am a Canadian who owns an Arizona rental property. I am filing a federal 1040nr and a state 140 form for Arizona tax. Will I receive a notice of assessment, or equivalent type of form from the US government? Will this notice indicate the rental loss I have to carry forward for the next year?

A:

If no tax is due or a refund coming, it is usual that you will NOT get an assessment. You can create a piece of paper by enclosing a $100.00 payment with this years tax return to be applied against the next year.

If the cheque is cashed and dated the same day as the returns you sent in, you have some sort of paper trail.

Then next year you can ask for a $50.00 refund and have the other $50 applied to the next year and on and on.

Otherwise, neither Arizona nor the Federal government is likely to send you anything.

Send it out registered and you have another piece of paper showing it was sent out.

Q:

I am confused on how the CRA determines residency. My husband re-located to the USA 10 years ago. I have an apartment that I still own in only my name. I did not move permanently to the states with my husband. I stayed in Canada to help my mother who is ill. I was living in Canada with my mother and rented my apartment out. I went back and forth between my family in the USA and my mother in Canada over the last 10 years. I was in Canada more than the USA. I did not work. In 2007 I had my accountant file my taxes in Canada for the years 1999-2000 even though I had no income. I get a letter from the CRA in Jan 2010 that I owe 4,000. I contacted my accountant right away, he did not know anything about this. I told him when I call the CRA they told me they contacted my accountant's offic in 2007 and advised another accountant in the office that I had no taxes due from the returns sent in for those years but that due to the accountant filing the 216 return l ate for the years 1999-2005. I owed non-resident tax arrears and that although they reversed any taxes due,as my apartment ran at a loss every year. I owed interest on the money that I could have owed?? No one contacted me, the CRA also said they had returned mail from me...weird because I have gotten every other letter to date, including all my returns from those years filed with a 'nil' amount due. My accountant suggested I write the CRA and ask to forgive this amount as there was never any taxes due in the first place. I am not sure what the outcome will be. I argued my residency point with the CRA a few years ago and they wrote me a letter stating they are now considering me a resident from 1999 - 2005? I had lived in my apartment in 2005. I am living in my apartment now and due to all my renters, am having to basically gut it and plan to sell it. Where do I fit in with capital gains. I believe I am and have always been a resident of Canada. I am told I will have to pay the 50% of the difference from when I bought in 1999 to when I sell in 2010 and then 25% cap gains tax...is this right! Sorry for blabbing on and on, with my husband's business closing in the US and having to start over again at our age ..it is frustrating to have to give our hard working nest egg to the government. Anyway, I hope I get picked by your experts to know where I stand with the CRA.

A:

As described, any capital gain on the apartment is taxable if it was rented out all this time whether you were a resident of Canada or the US or both.

I will bet you $100 right now that you also filed a US 1040 Joint return with your husband showing you as a resident of the US all of this time. A big question I have is whether or not you reported the Canadian rented apartment on that 1040. I bet not from your email which is a 'very; serious US matter. An interesting part here is that if the apartment lost money, it would have meant less US tax payable.

Normally, you would have a very difficult time proving you are a resident of Canada as well and reversing the Section 216(4) tax returns filed. It can be done however if you had a Canadian Driver's licence (no US driver's licence) and a provincial medical card and can show from phone bills, hospital visits, etc., that you were closer connected to Canada then the US, it can be done for the rest of the years.

And, the good news is that it will not affect your US income tax filed with your husband BUT, in a strong pitch, could affect your US residency status if you have a green card which requires you to be in the US more than 183 days a year.

The problem with Section 216(4) returns is that losses can NOT be used against capital gains. A good accountant just about never files a section 216(4) return with a rental loss. The accountant should capitalize interest, taxes and repairs rather than use them as a deduction to create a loss which is lost against capital gains.

Worse news is that you created a deemed sale on the apartment when you moved back in and that has to be dealt with immediately if you moved back in 2009. If you did, you have a 2009 tax bill even though it was not sold.

You do not pay 50% of the difference. What you have to do is pay tax on 50% of the profit from when you moved out of it and rented it.

Depending upon the profit, that tax can be as low as 11% of the profit if the profit is less than $70,000. The absolute most tax you would pay is about 24% of the profit if you made over $300,000.

Hope this helps somewhat. You need to talk to someone who understands the rules and you need to understand them yourself. You are responding to outside events rather than doing what is proper under the act.

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