Biggest mistake?
 

What's THE biggest mistake you've made since arriving in Canada?
Ours was believing the answers to the questions we asked, especially about the town we live in............:mad:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Exiting the airport without a return ticket to the UK. :blink:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Where did you ask these questions? In a pub?

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Not purchasing a snowblower.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Moving to BC

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Googling 'British Expats forum' ;)

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Thinking that UK income wasn't taxable in Canada.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Driving along after playing football, I neglected to put my coffee down when reaching to answer the phone. My leg was propped against the door with the knee being the highest point so, when my coordination proved inadequate to the tasks at hand and I dropped my burning cigarette, it fell into my shorts and nestled in my pubic hair. This caused me distress.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

That surely is the winner of this thread. I have strange pictures in my mind now....not nice ones I can tell you :eek:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

That post caused me to hurt myself (cracked my knee on the bottom of the desk when I suddenly crossed my legs).

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

It's taxable??!!!:eek:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

See, smoking can harm your health.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Fraid so. I didn't discover that for about three years. I wasn't working so I didn't file any tax returns. When I eventually did, I got a bit of a shock, along with late layment penalties and interest.:ohmy:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

So you pay tax on it in the UK AND HERE???

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Yes and no. It was UK income and had some tax taken at source by the Inland Revenue. That's OK because it goes down as a credit on the Canadian tax return. You're not taxed twice on the same chunk of money. What I didn't know was that UK income had to be declared on my Canadian tax return and that the amount of tax already paid in the UK (about 10%) wasn't enough. I was in arrears in Canada and got smacked for it.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

In Canada, as in the UK, you are taxed on your world-wide income. The only bright spot (?) is that there is a tax treaty in place between the two countries.


http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newsroom/al...a080228-e.html

http://www.fin.gc.ca/treaties/cndtxtreat_e.html

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

why didn't you just not show it on your canadian tax return.........?

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Because for the first 2-3 years I was here I didn't work. No work equals no income equals no tax owing. You don't have to file a tax return for about seven years if you don't owe any tax. I didn't know then that UK income counted in Canada. I only found out when I started working and wanted to file a return.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

It's something called jail :p

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Quite. I was advised to delay my citizenship application until my, erm, discussions, with the CRA had been sorted.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

I don't quite see the point of your question? I'm assuming it is an attempt to be humerous. But to answer anyway: no, not in a pub..........the real estate agent handling the house purchase, and people who live and work in this miserable town. :mad:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

I had to file a tax return even though I'm not working and had only been in the country 4 mths. Our Man told us that he had learned the hard way a few years ago so I definately needed to file a return, it didn't cost anything and had a nought on it.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Ok,I googled Smalltown and there isn't such a place duh to me!:rofl: Where do you live and what's so bad?

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

I'm unsure as to how correct that is. My understanding is that, if you don't owe tax, you have seven years to file a return for any given year.

I thought I didn't, so I didn't. I did, so I should've.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

I'm not sure either, the guy we chose to do our return just told me he got caught out a few years ago on someone's behalf, so I needed to get a return in - we just took his word for it and it didn't cost me anything.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

According to the CRA:

Do you have to file a return?

You have to file a return for 2007 if any of the following situations apply:

* You have to pay tax for 2007.
* We sent you a request to file a return.
* You and your spouse or common-law partner elected to split pension income for 2007. See line 115 - Other pensions or superannuation, and line 129 - RRSP income, for details
* You disposed of property in 2007 (for example, if you sold real estate or shares) or you realized a taxable capital gain (for example, if a mutual fund or trust attributed amounts to you, or you are reporting a capital gains reserve you claimed on your 2006 return).
* You have to repay any of your Old Age Security or Employment Insurance benefits. See line 235 - Social benefits repayment, for details.
* You have not repaid all of the amounts you withdrew from your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) under the Home Buyers' Plan or the Lifelong Learning Plan. For details, see Guide RC4135 - Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) or Guide RC4112 - Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP).
* You have to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). This can apply if, for 2007, the total of your net self-employment income and pensionable employment income is more than $3,500. See line 222 - Deduction for CPP or QPP contributions on self-employment and other earnings.

Even if none of these requirements apply, you may still want to file a return to receive certain benefits and credits. See Benefits of filing a return.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

I'm trying to picture a situation where someone would bother to find out all those conditions, investigate them and then still not bother to file a return.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Please don't jump down my throat at being a spazz here, but Jon your first line says "if you have to pay tax for 2007".

Does this mean just if you are self employed like in the UK, or is this everybody that earns an income and pays tax ie like me for an employer?

If its the latter of the 2 where do I get the forms to file a return I don't want to get caught out like Souv for not doing something I didn't realise you had to do.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Did you work in Canada in 2007?

If so yes you should have received a T4 slip from your employer and yes you have to file a return.

You can pick up a tax package at any postal outlet.:)

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

If you are an employee you should still file a return. In fact you MUST do if you owe tax, and you won't know if you owe tax until you have completed the forms. Paper copies are available at any post office, or can be downloaded from CRA's website http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/formspubs/t...al/menu-e.html

I can't think of any benefit from not filing a return, so urge everyone to file a tax return every year.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Hi Lorna...no you won't find "Smalltown", but that's what it should be called. It's a blip on the map in SW Ontario, between Goderich on the coast of Lake Huron and Stratford, famous for it's Shakespeare festival. I've mentioned certain things about Smalltown in previous posts......basically, it's a very pretty little place but without a focal point. A lot of the shops on Main Street have shut because the owners have retired and the younger generation don't want to continue with them.....even Crappy Tire pulled out, and Tim Hortons, MacDonalds and various other similar establishments aren't allowed near. Not that this is a bad thing......personally, I'm happy with that, as I never go into them anyway, but I thought it was done to enable the town to keep it's individuality. However, it's the few cronies who run the town, and own the two coffee bars who don't want to lose the business. Fair enough, I can live with that. Problem is the town is inhabited by narrow-minded bigots who have a dislike for anything and anyone new, so as well as shutting out businesses, they're shutting out new people who could inject a bit of life and energy.
As I've mentioned before, I've been told to lose my accent and join one of the many churches, the better to be accepted! Sorry - no can do to the first ridiculous suggestion, and why would I want to join a church to be welcomed by a group of hypocrites who won't accept us for who we are in the first place! :ohmy:
We were blatantly lied to about many aspects of the town...........it's like living in a Stephen King novel at times.......
I cannot stand the shallow, narrow mentality of the so-called "Friendly" people, who feel the necessity to announce their "friendliness" on big boards as you drive into town. If you have to announce such a thing, it doesn't usually exist.
Can't wait to leave..........as soon as the house is sold, we're off!

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

I went to Bayfield once for a couple of days. In March. Long couple of days.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Are you just leaving the town and moving somewhere else or are you leaving Canada?

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Do you want to buy 4 Avril Lavigne tickets? That'll cheer you up.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Giving out our address!!!:ohmy:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Football, or the far more effette 'soccer'?

;)

R.

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Imagining that we'd be mortgage-free!!!!! :ohmy: I even had grandiose ideas about buying a vacation property somewhere nice!:rofl:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

To whom? :confused:

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Biggest mistake? Asking on the previous page if I need to fill in tax returns, find out I do and then download them and now realise it'll be me that has to wade throught them all for me and Mr MMC tonight after a particularly hectic day today :(

Re: Biggest mistake?
 

Relatives...maybe?:rofl::rofl: