Hi

Am seriously considering leaving Canada and returning home after 20 years.

I am looking to make a clean break as possible so there's no complications on leaving Canada - i.e. selling flat, selling shares etc. Only thing left in Canada will be RRSPs. Don't want to be deemed a Canadian resident when living in UK.

I know we have to file a NR73 form upon leaving but do we also have to file a T1 tax return too upon leaving or do we do that at the end of the Canadian tax year (i.e. for me it will be early 2024 since I plan to leave Canada in August 2023 and will be in UK as a resident by Jan 2024) ? If we have to file it upon leaving how do we get the T4 from our last employer ?

Has anyone any experience of the process, especially the timing of when to file the T1? Of if we don't file a final T1 and just include any income (since the last T1) on the first UK tax return ?

Cheers!

The deadline for 2022 tax returns is 30 April 2023. See CRA information on this link. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-age...l#whenandwhere

Not related to the question specifically...I returned to the UK after 25 years in TO, and basically did as you intend. I'm seriously thinking of returning to Canada after living here for 2 years. I knew the place would have changed in 25 years, (When I arrived in Canada, Brit expats were selling Max Bygraves as popular music, so I was aware of failure to shift time.), but wasn't prepared for the governmental - national and local - chaos, the lack of consideration of others in society generally, the casual racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia (Although that could just be my locale.) and the pernicious expansion of privatization. (Lessons for Ontario there, guys.) Do you really need to come back? I'd reconsider. Remember the story of the frozen bird in a pile of dung.

I'd like to.

how old are you?

you may get another shock should you come back home to Canada.... you've heard the *back home we did this that & the other - to * back home comparisons*

so 2 years in blighty eh! and you 've found 25 years of open spaces, what may seem like local govt/demographics are better in Canada than the UK ... or could it be another reason?

be interested to know the real reason that you're "thinking of returning".

BTW, don't mind me, at 75 years of age I get a wee bit cantankerous.

I'm 71, just 4 years short of your good self. . Not sure that my age, or yours, is relevant to the conversation though, no matter how cantankerous you may be. I'm well past the 'back home' comparisons, or are you are suggesting that Canadian society has deteriorated so rapidly in the past two years? I was pointing out to the initial poster that in my recent experience, he might want to reconsider his decision and why. The story of the bird is meant to be humorous in that, even if you think things are bad, they could be worse.

I gave my reasons in my first message (Repeated below, in case you missed it.) As for 'another reason,' I don't understand your comment. Would you explain?

If you are talking money, I did point out that my pension is paid Cdn, and the exchange rate is good in my favour. Personal taxes in Canada for the the ordinary guy are higher in Canada , so I get to keep more of my income in the UK.

wasn't prepared for the governmental - national and local - chaos, the lack of consideration of others in society generally, the casual racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia (Although that could just be my locale.) and the pernicious expansion of privatization. (Lessons for Ontario there, guys.)

A recent example? Having to explain to someone who had said that if he had his way, he'd line up all the gays and trans on the main road and drive a truck (Actually, he said lorry.) over them, that being gay wasn't a life style choice and in being trans, someone didn't decide one morning to wake up and get the sh1t kicked out of them by people who felt threatened. This not a one off comment either.

Good grief. Who on earth are you hanging out with?! I’ve never heard anybody talk like that in the UK, I’ve always found it a very tolerant place. I’d have told him he was breaking the law staying stuff like that and if he did it again I’d give the police a quick call. It boggles my mind that anybody thinks it’s ok to still say stuff like that in 2022.

let me try this again ....

that it's taken 2 years to find out that you made a mistake going back to the UK, why did you wait 2 years, did you believe that things would get better or that you'd get used to it?

exactly how long did it take before you first became disgruntled?

*in your world* if its as dreadful as you pointed out then no more "thinking" just get out of there ASAP, back to a place where you feel right at home.

Compared to other places on this planet, likely Canada has it's own set of issues, good & bad points.


good, bad or indifferent, that everyone is entitled to have their own opinion .. "there's nowt so queer as folk"

.

Wanting to kill people for their sexuality isn’t an opinion. It’s vile hate speech and nobody is entitled to that.

I cannot understand why you would be a bit inconsiderate as to the original posters questions, it’s stressful enough to make “moving decision’s” without people “putting their two pennies worth” into the mix especially not when asked to do so. I have had tons of conversations with people who are thinking/wanting/would like to move , I listen and if asked for advice I offer advice but never include my personal opinions/experiences as they are mine and would not be the other persons, I would hate to put someone off their plans just because I had different views etc.

I routinely see violent homophobia and overt racism posted by people I know slightly who are in the UK. Advocates for Brexit often hold such views along with a desire to see people drowned in the Channel. I don't know that it's worse in the UK than in Canada but I think there's a strong strain of such views stretching from the Chelsea rent boys to the presenters on GB News.

Brits1- I wasn't being inconsiderate. I did point out it wasn't related to the specific question. I was relating my experiences having done exactly what he intends to do. Had I had similar information before hand, then I would have done the following, which happens to be the advice I was going to post today before your comment. Here it is:
-if you can afford it, don't sell up anything in Canada. Keep your apartment/house. Rent it out or put into mothballs. I was advised that I had to sell up totally except for RRSP's and close things down, which I did. Bad advice.
-keep your chequing account and credit card. Use the cc at least once yearly (Maintains rating.)
-get 12 months health insurance in case you get sick, then you won't need to feel bad about the NHS
-rent a place over here, if you can afford it
- if you don't like the UK, your infrastructure is in place to return to Canada.
As for paying tax, I believe in it, and I have paid my dues in Canada and the UK. (There is a dual agreement in place.) I'm not sure what would happen if you did as I have suggested. (Ask Rishi Sunak as his wife didn't pay tax as she was classed as non-dom.)

The people making the comments that I reported...white working class of varying ages, ranging from apprentices to retired policemen. I happen to work there part time. North of England.

Brits1 - I also know it is stressful. I made the move two years ago, I remember endless nights waking up panicking that I had made the right decision. And I brought back my dog. Throw that into the mix. I had to get URN from HRMC - initially refused - to ensure that all of the dog's paperwork was in order. Have you made the return? How did you find it? Did you do it by yourself, or were there two of you working on it? I would think that it's a much easier process if two of you are handling the paperwork.(Honest questions.)

Further thoughts:I’ve compiled a list of other factors –mostly financial- that I did not consider fully and wished I’d fully appraised the implications:

-Dormant accounts. If your UK bank account has not been used in 15 years, and the bank hasn’t contacted you, you will not have access to either your account or money. Revive the account from Canada, if possible.

-Credit rating. Equifax and Transunion are the two big credit reference agencies here, just as in Canada. However, your Canadian reference is worthless in the UK. You may have an outstanding reference there; here zero. Not transferable.

-Getting a credit reference. I was told first thing is to get on the electoral roll. When you have an address, register.

-Getting a credit reference (2). General advice on the best way to get a credit reference is to get a phone contract. It turns out to be Catch 22 because to get a contract companies ask for…a credit reference.

-No UK credit reference = no UK credit card. Even those designed to ‘rebuild broken credit’ won’t touch you for 12 months. (I have lots of stories about trying to get one to make online purchases.)

-No credit reference means a disadvantage when it comes to renting. Landlords and agents want a good reference. If you don’t have one, you’ll need a guarantor and hefty deposit.

-National Insurance numbers. In Canada, we protect them like gold dust and don’t share them. Over here, you are regularly asked for one. All and sundry seem to have access to your number.

-Driver license. Not sure if the Provincial license can be transferred to UK, or whether you’d have to take a test. I still had my pink and green paper license from about 1974, so that was easily converted.

Car insurance. Get an abstract from your Canadian insurance provider before leaving showing – hopefully – a clean record. Some companies here will accept it towards lowering your NCD. I went with Admiral first year because they did accept my Cdn abstract. At the end of the year, my bank offered a better deal, so I went with them.

-Transferring money between here and there. I’ve been using XE currency converter. I have found their rates marginally better than either of my banks here and there, but they don’t charge a fee.

-If you are bringing in a dog, under EU rules it had to be microchipped and have had a rabies shot after the microchip. (May have changed after Brexit.) A certificate of vaccination prior to the chip isn’t acceptable. To bring in Molly, I had to get a Unique Return Number from HMRC. To do that, you have to list everything that you intend bringing in to the UK. Your URN means that you don’t pay import duties on goods for your use. The dog also needs a health certificate (Fit to Fly) no more than 5 days (I think) prior to travel and to get worm treatment no more than three days before flight. I used a broker at each end too.