MP Chandra Arya wants to tax Canadians abroad!

[JM_]

10 minutes ago, canuckster19 said:

You literally said a few posts ago the system should be fair though, how is that fair?

because the ex-pats are getting access to the Canadian health system, thats very fair. 

 

You want ex-pats to simply go off for years, pay no Canadian taxes of any kind, and someday when its convenient for them to come and sponge off the system for free. Thats the definition of unfair for all of us maintaining the system in their absence. 

[JM_]

8 minutes ago, 24K PureCool said:

 

For an expat this system would essentially force me to pay for an insurance that he/she may never want to use but still has to pay to keep Canadian citizenship that he/she cannot renounce if it is the only citizenship he/she has.

 

As a previous poster mentioned, it may be more prudent to charge premium or extra premium to expats when re-establishing residency than playing around with income tax which is already convoluted as it is when dealing with foreign income. 

no thats not correct. I'm saying I'd give ex-pats the choice of paying or not. If they don't pay, then their health care costs are up to them.

 

I don't think income tax changes are needed at all. Just some sort of premium for ex-pats who plan to return. 

[24K PureCool]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

no thats not correct. I'm saying I'd give ex-pats the choice of paying or not. If they don't pay, then their health care costs are up to them.

 

I don't think income tax changes are needed at all. Just some sort of premium for ex-pats who plan to return. 

Ok that make more sense.

 

Still thinks charging more premiums on healthcare when re-establishing residency makes more sense as there is even less cost than managing multitudes of active accounts. 

[Violator]

1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I can see people start equating this with things like birth tourism as well, fairly or not. 

 

If ex-pats don't pay something into the system this thing could get very ugly if it starts to become a bigger issue. 

You cant blame people you pay taxes all your life then you want a cheaper place to live but come back and spoonge when those services are needed.

[Warhippy]

6 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

no thats not correct. I'm saying I'd give ex-pats the choice of paying or not. If they don't pay, then their health care costs are up to them.

 

I don't think income tax changes are needed at all. Just some sort of premium for ex-pats who plan to return. 

I think that's fair

[canuckster19]

2 minutes ago, Violator said:

You cant blame people you pay taxes all your life then you want a cheaper place to live but come back and spoonge when those services are needed.

And those like me who live in a more expensive place?

[JM_]

7 minutes ago, 24K PureCool said:

Ok that make more sense.

 

Still thinks charging more premiums on healthcare when re-establishing residency makes more sense as there is even less cost than managing multitudes of active accounts. 

it might be better and cheaper for the ex-pat to pay early tho, as that money can be invested by the gov't for years. Waiting until an ex-pat was retirement age might be pretty expensive for them. 

 

But again, I'm all for choice. Let the ex-pats decide. 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Jimmy McGill

[JM_]

2 minutes ago, canuckster19 said:

And those like me who live in a more expensive place?

again, your choice. 

[Violator]

5 minutes ago, canuckster19 said:

And those like me who live in a more expensive place?

Sweeden right?

[24K PureCool]

3 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

it might be better and cheaper for the ex-pat to pay early tho, as that money can be invested by the gov't for years. Waiting until an ex-pat was retirement age might be pretty expensive for them. 

Fair enough, but the root of the problem here is that your idea is not what is being proposed by the mp but rather a broad base change in income tax law on expats.

[Ballisticsports.]

32 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

but you need a mechanism of some sort to do that. It would be far more cost effective for ex-pats to simply pay a small fee to maintain their health access. And it can be a choice btw, if you don't want to pay it fine, but then you need to cover your own insurance if you ever decide to come back.

 

If Canada is your 'plan B' then really I have zero sympathy for Lars, as I suspect a lot of other taxpayers would feel, regardless of political stripe. 

Agree

Nothing in life is free,

What is free here?

We pay to be Canadians that stay home (so why not if you leave, to only come back at the end)?

We pay property tax, gst pst, luxury, income tax, road tax,school , green etc on everything to support the way of life in Canada

If that isn't important to someone, until they decide they only want to be here to collect at the end, while not contributing and using Canada as a 'plan B' option as you say

 

Buy life insurance and stay where you are, or support and be proud to be Canadian and support the country and system and health care

In the USA and other countries you pay heath insurance, their taxes don't support health, but things are cheaper

It is like the Canadian who marries a American, then says we'll live in your country, make more money, live cheaper and fly back to Canada for surgeries

That is not being a Canadian, or supporting being one in anyway

Health isn't free for us living here, we pay for it

Don't be a leech and look at free rides

 

I never even thought of this issue till this posting, and hope they stop this

[Canadian]

22 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

because the ex-pats are getting access to the Canadian health system, thats very fair. 

 

You want ex-pats to simply go off for years, pay no Canadian taxes of any kind, and someday when its convenient for them to come and sponge off the system for free. Thats the definition of unfair for all of us maintaining the system in their absence. 

As an expat, I can tell you that I don’t have access to the Canadian medical system. I come home every summer for a month and another week or two at Christmas. I haven’t had medical access for nearly a decade in Canada due to BCs rule that after 2 years you’ve lost residency (you also lose your drivers license when it expires). Other provinces like Ontario don’t seem to follow this. So there is some discrepancy. But I don’t get a free ride - and my insurance coverage through my company doesn’t provide coverage in North America. So I pay out of pocket when I come home if I want any kind of visits or treatments. 70 dollars for a ten minute visit to a doctor, etc.
 

Only when I re-establish residency ties (after 90 days I believe) do I get to access the medical system. At which point, I will be paying taxes again etc. For a lot of people in my situation, we spend our 20s/30s and maybe 40s abroad and come home when families are anticipated/growing. Twenty years abroad of no access followed by twenty years of tax paying. I think it’s a fair trade that doesn’t really hurt anyone. 
 

And how many people is this really affecting...... wouldn’t put much money back in the coffers.

 

[24K PureCool]

27 minutes ago, Canadian said:

As an expat, I can tell you that I don’t have access to the Canadian medical system. I come home every summer for a month and another week or two at Christmas. I haven’t had medical access for nearly a decade in Canada due to BCs rule that after 2 years you’ve lost residency (you also lose your drivers license when it expires). Other provinces like Ontario don’t seem to follow this. So there is some discrepancy. But I don’t get a free ride - and my insurance coverage through my company doesn’t provide coverage in North America. So I pay out of pocket when I come home if I want any kind of visits or treatments. 70 dollars for a ten minute visit to a doctor, etc.
 

Only when I re-establish residency ties (after 90 days I believe) do I get to access the medical system. At which point, I will be paying taxes again etc. For a lot of people in my situation, we spend our 20s/30s and maybe 40s abroad and come home when families are anticipated/growing. Twenty years abroad of no access followed by twenty years of tax paying. I think it’s a fair trade that doesn’t really hurt anyone. 
 

And how many people is this really affecting...... wouldn’t put much money back in the coffers.

 

I think it is 6 month in BC. Maybe wrong there. 

 

Yes, as an expat you don't get automatic coverage upon return as it is based on provincial residency. So no one is really abusing the system by doing a weekend trip back to Canada and in province that do allow this, they have to continue to pay taxes as Canadian and as their respective province residents for tax purposes anyways to maintain their coverage. 

Edited May 11, 2020 by 24K PureCool

[DADDYROCK]

Sounds like someone needs attention whom ever this Chandra Arya is.

 

This sounds reasonable because as all of us know there just isn't enough taxes on Canadians and most hard working people.BUT the rich and corporation who are some how classed as people don't have to pay their share,YA reasonable.

 

[JM_]

15 minutes ago, Canadian said:

As an expat, I can tell you that I don’t have access to the Canadian medical system. I come home every summer for a month and another week or two at Christmas. I haven’t had medical access for nearly a decade in Canada due to BCs rule that after 2 years you’ve lost residency (you also lose your drivers license when it expires). Other provinces like Ontario don’t seem to follow this. So there is some discrepancy. But I don’t get a free ride - and my insurance coverage through my company doesn’t provide coverage in North America. So I pay out of pocket when I come home if I want any kind of visits or treatments. 70 dollars for a ten minute visit to a doctor, etc.
 

Only when I re-establish residency ties (after 90 days I believe) do I get to access the medical system. At which point, I will be paying taxes again etc. For a lot of people in my situation, we spend our 20s/30s and maybe 40s abroad and come home when families are anticipated/growing. Twenty years abroad of no access followed by twenty years of tax paying. I think it’s a fair trade that doesn’t really hurt anyone. 
 

And how many people is this really affecting...... wouldn’t put much money back in the coffers.

 

sure but thats 20 years where you didn't pay into the system, and 40-ish more where you will be taking from the system as well. 

 

I don't know what the right number is, it would take a team of actuaries to figure out a "fair" number. I suspect its a lot cheaper than the premiums your company is paying. 

 

I do think that nothing though isn't fair to everyone else that did pay for their entire working life. 

[BPA]

2 hours ago, Down by the River said:

So you're saying that when life isn't fair you should just lay down and take it? That sounds pretty cowardly and defeatist to me. 

Never said that.  So stop putting words in my mouth.

 

If you look at some of my posts, I said if you don't like the law, then change it.

 

[BPA]

2 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

OK, well remember that when there's blowback on your acquaintances. 

Sure.  If the laws get changed, they can decide to pay or not pay taxes ( if it comes to that).  Become a permanent citizen of some other country.   It's their choice. 

[Down by the River]

9 minutes ago, BPA said:

Never said that.  So stop putting words in my mouth.

 

If you look at some of my posts, I said if you don't like the law, then change it.

 

So what's the point about crying over how there are other loopholes? Should someone not be allowed to want to fix one loophole because there are a bunch of others? If I'm putting words in your mouth, then what is your point of listing other loopholes? 

[BPA]

1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said:

sure but thats 20 years where you didn't pay into the system, and 40-ish more where you will be taking from the system as well. 

 

I don't know what the right number is, it would take a team of actuaries to figure out a "fair" number. I suspect its a lot cheaper than the premiums your company is paying. 

 

I do think that nothing though isn't fair to everyone else that did pay for their entire working life. 

So what is a solution for an example like this...

 

I have an Uncle who passed away in February.   My Aunt has been living in Canada for over 30 years.  Worked and paid taxes.  However, she doesn't want to/can't live by herself nor live in an old folks home.  So she is going to live with her son who works abroad. 

 

So for 30 years she paid into the system.  She will no longer get any old age pensions, etc when she moves out of the country.   So what happens now???

[BPA]

5 minutes ago, Down by the River said:

So what's the point about crying over how there are other loopholes? Should someone not be allowed to want to fix one loophole because there are a bunch of others? If I'm putting words in your mouth, then what is your point of listing other loopholes? 

Maybe fix those loopholes too?