Former Lancastrian

Go into a CRA office and get it in writing. Calling a help line doesn't mean you will get the right answer as you are finding out. If you have it in writing then CRA can't come back at you as forcefully as opposed to the well someone on the phone told me.
I agree with JonboyE about looking at the floor. You are considered a resident of Canada if living in Canada on a permanent or temporary basis unless a visitor.

TRC

This is making sense to me now, I just find it bizarre that the CRA keep telling me the wrong thing.

So I can still claim my rent, laptop upgrades as expenses even if I dont register GST til later?


I'd imagine a flight back home on expenses would be a stretch?

Siouxie

Those are tax (as in income tax) deductible, nothing to do with GST.

You can deduct around 10% of your rent, specific to a home office environment.

Work-space-in-the-home expenses

You could only claim flights if they pertained specifically to your work and were essential, I believe.

Business expenses

TRC

Awesome, thanks for this.

TRC

I've just went to register, I've noticed that it says I only need to register if my business name is different to my full name? What if I want to use my full name I dont need to register?

Aviator

You are reading the wrong bit. You only need to register a name of your business is different to you personal name. Even then it is not mandatory to register a proprietorship business name. This is to protect a business name.

You would register tax accounts in your personal name if you are a proprietorship, which is the legal entity. If incorporated that would be the registered name and the legal entity.

TRC

Yeah I called an advisor and they told me I dont need to register if I use my full name, although if I want to claim expenses I should register a business name.