Hong Kong resident with brother living in house in Canada. -


QUESTION: My Brother is a non-residant Canadian Citizen currently living in HongKong, He lived in HongKong over 10 years. Now he want to buy a house in Toronto and let me live in it for several years, I don't pay rent to him. After a few years later, when he came back to Canada, I give back the house to him. What is the best way to deal with this situation for saving tax purpuse? If he transfer money to my account in Canada and buy the house with my name on the title, I can sign a letter as his trustee in a lawyer office. I hold the house for him. will he change his non-residential status? Do I need to pay tax when I fill tax form next year? Do we need to pay tax in the future when I return the house to him? will he pay tax when he sell the house in the future? thanks!

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david ingram replies:

If your brother loans you the money to buy a house and you buy a house and live in the house and maintain the house and it is your house, then any profit is tax free.

If your borother gives you the money to buy the house and you are going to give the house to him when he returns to Canda then you are just the trustee and it is his house an dthat means that the CRA might try and tax him as they did David MacLean who was in Saudi Arabia for seven years

In 1985, David MacLean lost his claim for non-residence status even though he was gone for seven years. He kept a house and investments in Canada and returned a couple of times a year to visit parents. He had even been to the Tax Office and received a letter on January 29, 1980 stating that his Canadian Employer could waive tax deductions because he was a non-resident. However, he did not advise his banks, etc. that he was a non-resident so that they would withhold tax, he did not rent his house out on a long term lease and he did not do any of the things that makes a person a "NON-RESIDENT". Judge Brule of the Tax court of Canada said that he thought Mr. MacLean had stumbled on the non-resident status by chance rather than by design. In other words, to become a non-resident of Canada, you must become a bone fide resident of another country.  As a rule, only a Muslim born in Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabian parents can become a Saudi Arabian citizen.  The best that David MacLean can hope for is that he has a Saudi Arabian temporary work permit.

In your brother's case, he can be a resident of Hong Kong and likely is.  That means that any uincrease in the value of the house (if you are holding it for him as you suggest) is subject to Canadian capital gaisn tax when he moves ito it or it is sold while he is still in Hong Kong.

David Ingram wrote:
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David Ingram gives expert income tax & immigration help to non-resident Americans & Canadians from New York to California to Mexico  family, estate, income trust trusts Cross border, dual citizen - out of country investments are all handled with competence & authority.
 
Phone consultations are $400 for 15 minutes to 50 minutes (professional hour). Please note that GST is added if product remains in Canada or is to be returned to Canada or a phone consultation is in Canada.
 
This is not intended to be definitive but in general I am quoting $800 to $2,800 for a dual country tax return.
 
$800 would be one T4 slip one W2 slip one or two interest slips and you lived in one country only - no self employment or rentals or capital gains - you did not move into or out of the country in this year.
 
$1,000 would be the same with one rental
 
$1,200 would be the same with one business no rental
 
$1,200 would be the minimum with a move in or out of the country. These are complicated because of the back and forth foreign tax credits. - The IRS says a foreign tax credit takes 1 hour and 53 minutes.
 
$1,500 would be the minimum with a rental or two in the country you do not live in or a rental and a business and foreign tax credits  no move in or out

$1,600 would be for two people with income from two countries

$2,800 would be all of the above and you moved in and out of the country.
 
This is just a guideline for US / Canadian returns
 
We will still prepare Canadian only (lives in Canada, no US connection period) with two or three slips and no capital gains, etc. for $150.00 up.
 
With a Rental for $350
 
A Business for $350 - Rental and business likely $450
And an American only (lives in the US with no Canadian income or filing period) with about the same things in the same range with a little bit more if there is a state return.
 
Moving in or out of the country or part year earnings in the US will ALWAYS be $800 and up.
 
TDF 90-22.1 forms are $50 for the first and $25.00 each after that when part of a tax return.
 
8891 forms are generally $50.00 to $100.00 each.
 
18 RRSPs would be $900.00 - (maybe amalgamate a couple)
 
Capital gains *sales)  are likely $50.00 for the first and $20.00 each after that.
 
Just a guideline not etched in stone. 
 
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