overseas employment and residency status Dubai, UAE,

Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 12:39 PM
To: taxman at centa.com
Subject: overseas employment and residency status
Importance: High
Hello,
I am working over seas for a Saudi Based company who has
factories in Dubai and Saudi.
 I am a field person, setting up camps in various countries in
the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa, when not in the
field I am based out of Dubai.  I have gotten rid of all my ties
to Canada ( Drivers License, home, bank accounts etc.) but the
company will not provide me with a residency permit in the UAE.
Field personal work under temporary work Visas in the country
they are in at the time.  My question is this –
 Do I need to have RESIDENCY elsewhere before I can be considered
a non-resident of Canada, even if I have followed all the steps
in the NR-73 form and have few ties to Canada (I do have children
I pay monthly child support to back in Canada).
 Thank You Very Much,
 xxxxx xxxxx
 -----------------------------
david ingram replies
Yep, Canada wants you to be in another country for more than 6
months for sure to be considered a resident of another country.
There is a UAE / CANADA Income Tax Treaty but it only applies to
"NATIONALS" of the UAE, not even residents.
That said, if you have truly given up your ties to Canada and in
your case I would say that would mean that you do NOT even visit
for two years, you would likely win your case.
That can be tough if you want to visit your children, but spring
for a Disneyland vacation and fly them and their father (and
maybe his new wife) to California or Disneyworld or even EURO
Disney.  In your case, do NOT even have a non-resident account to
pay the child support.
Next year, spring for a trip to Greece and the Acropolis and the
year after that try Hawaii.
Just stay OUT OF CANADA for three years (two at least) if you
want to be income tax free. Then if you do come, make it very
short visits and no more than one a year.
You might also consider buying a place in Greece or Spain or, or,
or and just inviting people to visit you there.
The following previous question may help
-----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
QUESTION:
I am Canadian citizen,have gotten an opportunity to work in the
Middle East
for a long term project about 3-4 years. I am planning to move
there with my
family, and wondering the tax liability on the income earned
there. Also
would like to find out how I can maximize the tax advantage if
there is any
for working overseas.  by the way, I own couple of residential
properties
which I am planning to put on rent.
thanks!!
-------------------------------------------------
david ingram replies:
I do not know of any better place to read the rules than the
middle of the
"US/CANADA TAXATION" section that you will find at www.centa.com
in the
second box down on the right hand side.
The defining case for you in Dennis Lee's case with the Judge
Teskey
Decision.
I am taking that part out of the article and printing it here.
If you are going overseas, you need to sit down with someone that
has done a
thousand (or at least a hundred) of them before.  Unfortunately,
most of the
out of Canada information is folklore.  Read Judge Teskey's
decision and you
will have a roadmap.
If you need to talk to someone, I am available - I charge $400
per hour and
typically your type of consultation can be done in one or two
hours.  If you
have further questions, I do not usually charge for a couple of
short follow
up calls which always seem to be necessary.
The Dennis Lee case follows in a bit
OUT OF CANADA AND RESIDENT - IN CANADA AND NON-RESIDENT
It is possible to be physically "in Canada" and be treated as a
Non-Resident
and it is possible to be out of the country for seven years, or
never have
even lived in Canada, but wanted to, and be taxed as a Canadian
resident as
the following three cases show. In case you missed it, the reason
for the
different rulings is the "INTENT" of the parties involved.  Wolf
Bergelt
intended to leave Canada.  David MacLean was only working out of
the
country.  He still maintained a residence and could not ever
become a
resident of Saudi Arabia anyway. Dennis Lee "wanted" to live in
Canada.
In 1986, Wolf Bergelt won non-resident status before Judge
Collier of the
Federal Court, even though he was only out of the country for
four months
and his family stayed behind to sell his house. He had given up
his
memberships, kept only one bank account and rented an apartment
in
California until his house in Canada was sold. Four months after
his move,
his company advised him that he was being transferred back to
Canada. Judge
Collier said his move was a permanent (although short) move and
he was a
non-resident for tax purposes for those four months.
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 other words, when a person leaves a place, they usually leave
and
establish a new identity where they are because the "new place"
is where
they live now. Trying to "look" like a non-resident is not the
same as
"BEING" a non-resident - think about it.
In 1989, Denis Lee won part but lost most of his claim for
non-resident
status. He was a British Subject who worked on offshore oil rigs.
He
maintained a room at his parents house in England and held a
mortgage on his
ex-wife's house in England. For the years 1981, 82 and 83 he did
not pay
income tax anywhere. in 1981 he married a Canadian and she bought
a house in
Canada in June of 1981. On September 13, 1981, he guaranteed her
mortgage at
the bank and swore an affidavit that he was "not" a non-resident
of Canada.
[As I have said in the capital gains section of this book, bank
documents
will get you every time.] During this time he had a Royal Bank
account in
Canada and the Caribbean but no Canadian driver's licences or
club
memberships, etc.
Judge Teskey said:
"The question of residency is one of fact and depends on the
specific facts
of each case. The following is a list of some of the indicia
relevant in
determining whether an individual is resident in Canada for
Canadian income
tax purposes. It should be noted that no one of any group of two
or three
items will in themselves establish that the individual is
resident in
Canada. However, a number of the following factors considered
together could
establish that the individual is a resident of Canada for
Canadian income
tax purposes":
- past and present habits of life;
- regularity and length of visits in the jurisdiction asserting
residence;
- ties within the jurisdiction;
- ties elsewhere;
- permanence or otherwise of purposes of stay;
- ownership of a dwelling in Canada or rental of a dwelling on a
long-term
basis (for example, a lease of one or more years);
- residence of spouse, children and other dependent family
members in a
dwelling maintained by the individual in Canada;
- memberships with Canadian churches, or synagogues, recreational
and social
clubs, unions and professional organizations (left out mosques);
- registration and maintenance of automobiles, boats and
airplanes in
Canada;
- holding credit cards issued by Canadian financial institutions
and other
commercial entities including stores, car rental agencies, etc.;
- local newspaper subscriptions sent to a Canadian address;
- rental of Canadian safety deposit box or post office box;
- subscriptions for life or general insurance including health
insurance
through a Canadian insurance company;
- mailing address in Canada;
- telephone listing in Canada;
- stationery including business cards showing a Canadian address;
- magazine and other periodical subscriptions sent to a Canadian
address;
- Canadian bank accounts other than a non-resident account;
- active securities accounts with Canadian brokers;
- Canadian drivers licence;
- membership in a Canadian pension plan;
- holding directorships of Canadian corporations;
- membership in Canadian partnerships;
- frequent visits to Canada for social or business purposes;
- burial plot in Canada;
- legal documentation indicating Canadian residence;
- filing a Canadian income tax return as a Canadian resident;
- ownership of a Canadian vacation property;
- active involvement with business activities in Canada;
- employment in Canada;
- maintenance or storage in Canada of personal belongings
including
clothing, furniture, family pets, etc.;
- obtaining landed immigrant status or appropriate work permits
in Canada;
- severing substantially all ties with former country of
residence.
"The Appellant claims that he did not want to be a resident of
Canada during
the years in question. Intention or free choice is an essential
element in
domicile, but is  entirely absent in residence."
Even though Dennis Lee was denied residency by immigration until
1985 (his
passport was stamped and limited the number of days he could stay
in the
country) and he did not purchase a car until 1984, or get a
drivers licence
until 1985, Judge Teskey ruled that he was a non-resident until
September
13, 1981 (the day he guaranteed the mortgage and signed the bank
guarantee)
and a resident thereafter.
My point is made. Residency for "TAX PURPOSES" has nothing to do
with legal
presence in the country claiming the tax. It is a question of
fact. My
thanks to Judge Teskey for an excellent list. The italics are
mine and refer
to the items which I usually see people trying to "hold on to"
after they
leave and are trying to become non-residents. No single item will
make you a
resident, but there is a point where the preponderance of
"numbers" leap out
and say, "He / She is a resident of Canada, no matter what he /
she says."
The case above is not unusual in any way. It is a fairly typical
situation
in my office.
In 1990, John Hale was taxed as a resident on $25,000 of
directors fees he
had received from his Canadian Employer and on $125,000 he
received for
exercising a share stock option given to him when he had been a
resident of
Canada (the option, not the stock). Judge Rouleau of the Federal
Court ruled
that section 15(1) of the Great Britain / Canada Tax Convention
did not
protect the $125,000 as it was not "salaries, wages, and other
remuneration". It was, however a benefit received by virtue of
employment
within the meaning of section 7(1)(b) of the act.
Even a car you do not own can make you a resident as the next
sailor found
out.
In 1988, Frederick Reed was claimed by the Canadian Government as
one of
their own. He lived on board ship and shared an apartment with a
friend in
Bermuda but only occasionally. He also stayed with his parents in
Canada
when visiting his employer in Halifax. Judge Bonner of the Tax
court ruled
that he could not claim his place of employ or the ship as his
residence and
just because he did not have a fixed abode, did not make him a
non-resident.
He was also the beneficial owner of a car in Canada which even
though of
minor consequence, served to add to his Canadian Residency. He
had in fact
borrowed money from a credit union to buy the car, even though it
was
registered in his father's name. He had maintained his Canadian
Driver's
licence as well.
An interesting case in June, 1989 involved Deborah and James
Provias who
left Canada in October of 1984. They had sold a multiple unit
building to
James' father on September 21, 1984 but the statement of
adjustments did not
take place until December 1, 1984. They tried to write off rental
losses and
a terminal loss against other income as `departing Canadians'.
Judge
Christie of the Tax Court ruled that they had left before the
sale and were
not entitled to the terminal loss or another capital loss as
these could
only be applied against income earned in Canada from October 13,
1984 (the
day they left) to November 30, 1984 (the day before the sale) and
there was
no income, only a rental loss.
But June, 1989 was a good month for Henry Hewitt. He had been a
non-resident
living in Libya for four years and received some back pay after
returning to
Canada. DNR tried to tax him on the money but Judge Mogan of the
Tax Court
came to the rescue. He ruled that although Canadians were usually
taxable on
money when received, that assumed that the money itself was
taxable in
Canada, which was not true in this case.
In 1989, James Ferguson lost his claim for non-residency status
but from the
information, it didn't stand a chance anyway. He had been in
Saudi Arabia on
a series of one year contracts for four years. His wife remained
employed in
Canada, and he kept his house, car, driver's licence, union
membership, and
master plumber's licence. Judge Sarchuk ruled that he had always
intended to
return to Canada and was a resident.
A similar situation involved John and Johnnie M. Eubanks in the
United
States. He was working on an offshore oil rig in Nigeria with a
Nigerian
work permit and attempted to claim non-resident status for the
purposes of
exempting the foreign earned income exclusion. His wife was in
the United
States at all times and because he worked 28 days on and 28 days
off, he
returned to the U.S. for his rest periods using 4 days for travel
and 24
days for rest with his family. He did not spend any 330 day
period (out of a
year) in Nigeria and only had a residency permit for the purposes
of working
in Nigeria. Judge Scott ruled he was a resident of the U.S. and
taxed him
some $20,000 with another $6,000 penalties and interest.
The Tax departments in Canada and the U.S. issue Interpretation
Bulletins
and Information Circulars and Guidance Pamphlets. These documents
sometimes
get people in trouble because the individual reads the good part
and doesn't
pay any attention to the exceptions. The following case ran
contrary to a
Guidance Pamphlet issued by the IRS.
On and Off-shore Oil rigs were involved with William and Margaret
Mount and
Jesse and Mary Wells. William and Jesse worked in the United Arab
Emirates.
However, they kept their homes and families in Louisiana and kept
their
driver's licences in Louisiana and voted in Louisiana. No
evidence was shown
that they had tried to settle in The United Arab Emirates. Judge
Jacobs
turned down claimed exclusions of approximately $75,000 each.
There isn't any question about what oil rig people talk about on
oil rigs.
It has to be "how to beat the tax man". Unfortunately, they all
seem to
think it is easy. Another such story follows.
In 1989, Clarence Ritchie found out that bona fide residence
means just what
it says. You cannot be a non-resident of the U.S. for tax
purposes if you
are not a bona fide resident of another country. He was working
on the Mobil
Oil Pipeline in Saudi Arabia and although when he left he was
married with a
couple of kids, by the time he returned permanently, he was a
happily
divorced man. Judge Scott ruled that though he did not have an
abode in the
United States, he had not established one in Saudi Arabia and
therefore was
not entitled to the foreign earned income exclusion which
requires you to be
away for 330 days out of 365. He had worked a 42 days on, 21 days
off
schedule and usually returned to the U.S. for his days off
although he did
spend time in Tunisia, England, Italy and Greece.
On a final note, as explained on page 143 of the "PINK" 17th
edition of my
ULTIMATE TAX BOOK, it is possible to have three countries after
you for tax.
If you are thinking of taking a job because a recruiter told you
the money
is tax free, think twice and check three times with competent
individuals
about what the rules "really are". No government likes giving up
the right
to tax its citizens.
DEBT SECURITIES - BANK ACCOUNTS
Non-residents of Canada with investments in Canada are subject to
a 25%
non-resident withholding tax on any money paid to them while they
are out of
the Canada. Therefore, if they have $10,000 in the Bank of
Montreal and they
live in Argentina, The Bank of Montreal must withhold 25 cents
out of every
dollar of interest paid to the account. Most tax treaty countries
such as
Great Britain, Germany, the United States, and Australia have a
reciprocal
agreement with Canada that limits the withholding to 10% for
interest.
  ==============================================
Note that Frederick Reid's car in Canada only made him taxable in
Canada
because he did not have another tax home.  When you are in a Tax
Treaty
country, Article IV protects you from tax on your world wide
income.
----------------------------
Answers to this and other similar  questions can be obtained free
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Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, I, david ingram am
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Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the
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"groooaaannnn" 1 AM
in the morning. It has a couple of useful concepts in it that can
be
recorded to really get the idea.
David Ingram's US/Canada Services
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