iaink

taxtips is the go to site, its far more comprehensive and many many of the other calculators make basic errors, like not bothering with EI and CPP deductions


Tax just seems complicated, thank god for software packages come tax return season.


FWIW to the OPs scenario on ~$75k salary in Ontario I paid a total of about 19% total in tax and what you would think of as NI. Not too many fancy deductions to get there, but that is as a married man with two small kids and a wife with no income. Taxation here seems lighter than it was in the UK, but then I wasnt married there...

Editha

With those figures, I don't think it is likely you'd experience an increase in your standard of living in Canada, and you might find it harder to get by.

Tax is complicated.

To try your own tax calculation go here: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html

Food is the big expenditure in Alberta. It may be cheaper in Ontario. We are a couple with 2 cats but no kids, and we're currently spending $875 a month on groceries.

marcwales

You guys are really bursting my Bubble!!! Only joking, really appreciate you taking the time to answer my queries.
Its starting to seem like the grass isn't greener. On the other hand, there is the whole lifestyle change - better weather than here. Know its colder but at least you can do stuff in the snow. But, does that outweigh leaving family behind? If earning potential was drastically improved, finding money for family flights wouldn't be a problem.
Which leads me neatly back to my original query - I want the extra income to be able to do extra stuff with the kids to improve our standard of living - skiing, even wanted to buy a snow mobile.
Seems like the only major financial change would be to buy a house outright after selling mine here. But as my mortgage is under £400 / month its not like winning the lottery! Big saving over 15 years though... But looks like I'll need to use that money on everyday stuff anyway, so no major benefit as such. Hmmmm.
As I mentioned before, I'm really worried that after all the hassle and expense of moving, i only end up marginally financially better off. Then I won't be able to fully enjoy the things that Canada offers..
Please keep the feedback coming, this is fascinating.....

JonboyE

$75k is a decent income for many jobs. Many pay less. $75k household income with no mortgage/rent will be reasonably comfortable for most people. $75,000 household income with a $300,000 mortgage will be a struggle, at best. Half you after-tax income will be going towards housing costs and that is a
recipe for poverty.

So work out how much the house you want will cost and how much you will need to borrow to buy it first.

iaink

Like I said, Im on $75k.

We ski, skate, kids do golf and swim all summer. We are not rich, but we are OK and enjoy a stress free environment and a low population density! I came for the pay hike and the job, and I stay cos I like the job and the lifestyle. Mind you, I live in a relatively cheap part of ontario and my mortgage payment is small. Then again, its an older house and I pay $200 a month for oil and over $100 for electric, so you cant have it all.

Ultimately if you hate what you do and have to go backwards in your career the resentment will kill any upside.

Missing family is the hardest thing, but my family was spread out to start with. For some thats a deal breaker no matter how good everything else is... we cant begin to guess how big a factor it will be for you.

I was lucky to find a life here that I am happy with, and Im happy to raise my kids here and we enjoy family visits when they can get out here to visit. Others will feel differently. I guess it depends what you are looking for in life, and where you are looking for it. I suspect as many people could find what they are looking for by moving within the UK and stopping paying attention to the dreadfully depressing british media. (not counting the footy pages of course)

christmasoompa

I'm intrigued - what does the UK weather stop you from doing?

iaink

Getting a tan? Seing the sun for more than a day or two at a time? Skiing on the way home from work? Skating on your back yard rink? need I go on

marcwales

Outdoor stuff really. We live in South Wales and it rains a lot!! Not particularly warm either, even in summer. My wife is canadian, but lived there when she was a child. People often mention the cold winters in Canada, but ours here and wet and windy so even going for bike rides is difficult. We had snow here for a month last year, and while is was cold it was blue sky and the kids loved sledging (ok, I loved it too...).
I've been to Canada 5 times, always in the summer though. Lifestyle change is a big factor for us, but I want financial increase so we don't have to have the same conversations about bills etc that we do now.

christmasoompa

OK, so other than the sun for more than a day at a time, I'll give you those. And with the snow in recent years, I've even managed skiing in the Chilterns! Although not on the way back from work, but then I do work from home.

But the OP said 'at least you can do stuff in the snow' so I wondered why they can't do 'stuff' in the rain too!

christmasoompa

Still not getting it, but perhaps your children aren't quite as mad as mine - even with the torrential rain we had in Berkshire yesterday, they still insisted on being outside all day. Bouncing on a trampoline and climbing trees in a downpour is not my idea of fun, but it is theirs! As is bike riding (usually Mum & Dad insist on a ride to the pub for lunch - we're not completely daft ) and taking the dog for a walk even if it's chucking it down.

If your main reason for moving to Canada is to be better off financially, then you need to research really very carefully as most people don't find themselves any better off. If you haven't already, maybe check out the Moving Back to the UK forum to see why people are returning from Canada?

Good luck.

iaink

Well quite, most years you can forget about riding a bike entirely where I am between November and April...

Presumably skiing in the Chilterns involves walking up the hill? I'll pass if thats the case.. when the lift at my tiny ski hill breaks down that's natures way of telling you its time for a hot chocolate in the chalet...

The main advantage I find in the ontario weather is its seldom overcast (it is today, and it makes me miserable to be honest), there just seems to be a lot more blue sky here (outside the permasmog of the GTA anyway)

christmasoompa

Hell no - that's what 4x4's are for!!

iaink

Driving in ski boots? You were born to be a canadian driver

If it rains and is miserable in S Wales, isnt a move to sunny Norfolk worth considering just as much as a leap over the atlantic... and almost as much of an adventure...

christmasoompa

Hell no, that's what husband's are for! Driving in wellies I can just about manage, but ski boots would be a bit beyond me I think. Ran over a chipmunk once when driving home in Canada, scarred me for life, so not sure I'm quite meant to be a Canadian driver somehow!

Sorry OP, we have got a bit caught up with our weather comparisons. But in all seriousness, Iaink's idea of a move within the UK isn't a bad one, have you considered it? It would save the £20k or so in moving costs as well, which would rather dent the 'better off financially' pot at least to start with.

marcwales

Yea, looked into that, and we did move to Swindon for a year. But worse standard of living than here, and we were dead lucky to be able to come back. We are very aware of what we do have here (nice house etc), but as with a lot of people, rise in cost of living has caught us out and we need more money!!