Erin, just in case, the only thing I would watch out for is those dvd's, ie make sure they're genuine
Erin, just in case, the only thing I would watch out for is those dvd's, ie make sure they're genuine
well, rrsp i already cashed out and put them in stocks that arent performing. hmph. anyway, i'm just concerned about the taxation part. the income i make in hk i hv to declare in canada too, and i dont think it makes sense cuz i'm not getting any canadian benefits anymore!Originally Posted by sylvesterjay:
It's you civic duty to pay taxes, beafan! And sylvesterjay, you are supposed to file income tax every year, even if you earn no income!
To answer the original question: if you have stayed in HK for a few months or more and then return to Canada and do not delare anything at customs, I guarantee you they will take you to the little room and ask you to open your luggage. Happened to me last year. They even took my watch and went online to check the price! Luckily I did not have bring in anything expensive. But t-shirts, bags, dvds will not be a problem.
you do not need to file taxes if you don't live there.
i haven't lived in canada for 11.5 years and have not filed a return in all of that time. however, when i return to canada, i'm expecting that i will need to prove that i have not been a resident for all of these years. that's easy. there won't be any problems with that at all.
yes, paying taxes is a duty. however, i'm paying HK taxes instead of canadian taxes. to me that makes a whole lot of sense, seeing as how i'm using the services in HK and NOT in canada.
don't be so quick to judge others without knowing the circumstances!
AND... having been gone for so long, i can honestly tell you... in my 9 trips back to canada, i have NEVER declared anything (i didn't have anything worthwhile to declare) and i have NEVER been stopped at customs.
maybe you were sporting a fancy watch adn you had fancy new samsonite luggage and you had a very expensive new-looking camera in you bag, i don't know. or, maybe you were just the one that they decided to pull aside. lusk of the draw type thing.
ps. i've NEVER declared non-residency. it's just a fact. i can provide them with all of my old leases dating back to 1995. i can provide them with my PR HKID (residency card, right? not a citizenship card!)...
i only changed my Driver's licence a few years ago to a HK licence. I still have one bank acct in canada, so that my mother can access money if she needs to.
that's it....
Forgive me if I sounded judgemental, but you are supposed to file a tax return every year, and even if you work abroad you have to pay taxes. In your situation it seems like you have no intention of ever returning to Canada to live, but if you ever decide to return and live in Canada you will have problems (mainly you will not be entitled to public health care).
canada does NOT require you pay taxes on income earned abroad.... therefore, i WILL NOT be in trouble. in canada, you pay taxes on income you earned IN CANADA (unless the law has changed in the past 11 years).
you may have to file a return, but you DO NOT PAY for income you earned overseas, in which case, most expats who live overseas, don't have to pay.
the US on the other hand requires that you pay taxes on WORLDWIDE income...completely different ball game.
i have checked with my accountant in Canada on numerous occassions to make sure that i wasn't doing anything wrong. and he said, not at all. all he said was when i return to live in canada, write a letter informing them that my residency has changed. they will send me the forms that i need to re-establish canadian residency, and therefore my health benefits will begin again.
ps... i'm not getting worked up... just so you know...i AM suffering terrible morning sickness though, so if my response seems a little starined, please excuse me.
Chimo, what government monkey brainwashed you? I would suspect you are American and not Canadian, as yes Americans are required to file every year, the rest of the world does not. Carang, right on!