# advice needed from Canadian Expats



## canadian redwing (Nov 25, 2008)

Is it better to file income tax with the Mexican govt. or the Canadian one? 
How does one file from abroad without having to return to Canada every year?
Help please!
Patti


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I'm a US citizen and we use Turbotax online to file our taxes. It is quick and simple and one can pay by credit card or have a refund deposited directly to your home bank. I would assume that Canadians can use a similar online method. Unless you receive income in Mexico, there is no need to file. If you have an investment account in pesos in Mexico, the investment house will withhold the appropriate amount.


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## Lauren5020 (Dec 14, 2008)

Hi
I filed from Mexico through a Canadian accountant. You could get in contact with the same one you had at home. I had an income of $0 in Canada, still filed. My Mexican taxes are filed by my employer (monthly).


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## canadian redwing (Nov 25, 2008)

Well I guess we'll have to talk to our tax preparer. We will be receiving govt. pension from Canada, so that will qualify as Canadian income, won't have any in Mexico as we are retired. I tried reading up on the non-resident in Canada tax laws, but unless you have a law degree and an accounting one, it might as well had been written in Greek. lol
We don't want to give up our Canadian bank account totally, nor our citizenship, we just don't want to have to fly back every year to file, and what I've read about Turbo Tax, Quick Tax and NETfile, a non-resident can't use them. Gotta love the red tape eh?


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## pedro (May 15, 2007)

canada has a tax treaty with mexico so you don't pay any in mexico. the tax on you will be 15% of your income. unless you can pay less by getting yourself declared as a factual resident of canada[your former province]. scotia is the best bank to deal with as they own inverlat and have bank machines all over mexico including one in san antonio[at lake chapala] beside wallmart.
it's really not that complex. go to canada revenue agency site and international tax services office as well. 2 forms you want to read are nr5 and nr73.
we have not needed a tax accountant to help us. it's all pretty straightforward. we get our tax forms and t1 mailed to us here in a timely fashion.
i have a vonage phone with an alberta and ontario # so that i can talk to our bank manager and the gov't agencies by phone and yes they call me back too.
yes there are scotia/inverlat banks and machines in monterrey.


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## leegleze (Oct 1, 2007)

Excellent topic ... I've been looking for some definitive information about the physical filing of my taxes and getting tax forms on the internet. Can anyone tell me where (online) I can fill out and file my taxes electronically? Also: My financial advisor told me that, if you are drawing a Canadian pension and you do not have a Canadian address, CPP can and will withhold 25% of your monthly pension income which will be returned once taxes are filed. Is this correct?


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## pedro (May 15, 2007)

leegleze said:


> Excellent topic ... I've been looking for some definitive information about the physical filing of my taxes and getting tax forms on the internet. Can anyone tell me where (online) I can fill out and file my taxes electronically? Also: My financial advisor told me that, if you are drawing a Canadian pension and you do not have a Canadian address, CPP can and will withhold 25% of your monthly pension income which will be returned once taxes are filed. Is this correct?


depends where you're moving to. if it's mexico,get a new financial advisor. the sites and forms i mentioned above will give you all the info you need. that's what we did.


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## canadian redwing (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks for the great information! We want to get all this done and be on our way out of here. We are in the middle of a blizzard, expected to continue for the next 3 days!! Enough of the "winter madness" lol
Patti


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

I knew some people who got into a considerable mess by living abroad and not filing their Canadian taxes every year. Even if you have no income in Canada, and owe no tax, you are required to file. Both ended up having to hire an accountant to prepare information for the tax people, and paid fines.


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