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Canadians Living Abroad Income Tax!

mowrow — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:02:07 +0000

Income tax in Canada is sow high, that even as a Canadian living abroad, you are still not exempt from paying your income tax!!! Unless …

you are a non-resident.

To be non-resident then you must sever residential ties by not having any property in Canada (especially that is readily avaialble), and not having any spouses or dependants there.

Other than that, it helps NOT to have, Canadian or in Canada: driver’s license, health insurance, bank account, possessions, and memberships, and not to be in Canada more than 5 months in any year.

It also helps to leave Canada, and to have residence elsewhere. Usually to have residence elsewhere is enough.

Either that or the place where you reside should have a tax treaty (made to avoid double taxation). There is a list of countries that Canada has tax treaties with from the CRA website. In that case you would be a ‘deemed non-resident‘.

ACCORDING TO MARIA BORRELLI:
Regarding a bank account, you can hold a bank account and even a credit card but the limit is about 500 dollars (an accountant said so).

You can hold your driving license as well as your health card but they must not be used, The health card must not be used for three months even after you return to Canada.

When you file your taxes, just confirm you have no income in Canada.

It takes 3 weeks to get your passport, and depending on the paper work you show them they will give you a conditional passport or a renewal. You better provide all documents (like citizenship cirtificate / birth certificate), otherwise you will get a conditional passport.

MORE INFO
- details: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tp/it221r3-consolid/it221r3-consolid-e.html#P130_22358 OR http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/nr73/README.html
- summary: http://blog.taxresource.ca/living-abroad-becoming-a-non-resident
- example: http://blog.taxresource.ca/am-i-a-resident-of-canada/

- more: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/ndvdls/lvng-eng.html
- more 2: http://www.expatinfodesk.com/expat-guide/nationality-specific-information/canadian/taxation/
- more 3: http://www.canuckabroad.com/international-banking/dealing-with-taxes-when-living-abroad.html

NOTE: CRA = Canadian Revenue Agency

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Abu Dhabi beach, a la F1!

mowrow — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:56:05 +0000

Gate 4, Al Sahel Beach, Courniche, Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi beach has 2 divisions: Al Sahel and Family.

Al Sahel is Gates 6, 5, 4. Family is Gates 3, 2, 1, of which 3 & 2 are only for families / womenz. They even have a “beach bus” that runs throughout the beach stretch for free every ~ 15 minutes.

All gates have a paid entrance where you can have extra amenities like beach-benches and a counter to keep your stufflez, 1 with water-sports (Gate 1 or 5, sometimes even at 4, depends on events), and less crowd on the toilets, showers, and sea.

Sahil Al Maydan (Gate 4) beach is absolutely packed on weekends before sunset, and it’s full of foreigners, and there is a suprising number of apparently single womenz 8]

Used to be nothing but a boring ol’ corniche where ppl walk, and now is a beautiful lively (with loads of concerts and outdoor movies year-round esp. from October to May) beach stretch with a bicycle lane and underground passages full with parks (and paking lots) across 8]

On October 2011, they had 2 huge-screen F1 movies, some F1 video games (X-Box Kinect and another, 3-screen actual F1 car sim, F1 wheel sim, replace-the-tire time-challenge, 2 remote-control racing circuits, 1 kids F1 go-carting) and an F1 sand-sculpture at Gate 4.

I played all the sims, especially the kids go-carting, the hardest part was getting out 8@

Though F1 cars go at insane speeds, F1 drivers actually need to be very calm because the slightest mistake can send them swirling and out of control especially on a turn.

They also need to be very patient cause they have to drive for 2 hours straight, and they need to loose absolutely all aggression and ego due to time-penalities for bumping into opponents (especially on turns to block them).

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2011 is history, 2013 is a mystery, and 2012 is … a barrage of fireworks!

mowrow — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:49:05 +0000

I watched Burj Khalifa fireworX live and in person for the very first time.

The Burj Khalifa fireworX are not only amazing due them coming out the building (in perfect syncrhonization), but due to the blinding brightness displayed using the primary colors, and the multitude of colored fireworks used at the same time, coming out of the tower!

Walked a minimum of 3:30 hours today, to and from JBR twice, and to the restaurants at Souq Al Bahar (nearby Burj Khalifa) from the Business Bay bus stop, and along JBR’s entire beach, before and after sunrise.

Went by car to Business Bay metro station to get to Burj Khalifa while avoiding the traffic and parking woes. The metro would not stop at Burj Khalifa metro station (due to excess crowds they said), so stopped at the next metro station being DIFC. From there the bus took us back to Business Bay, for a half hour walk to Burj Khalifa 8/

Burj Khalifa New Year (2012) fireworks in full

Burj Khalifa New Year (2011) fireworks in full

2011′s Burj Khalifa New Year fireworks had more fire, lasers and fountains than 2012′s, which basically only had fireworks 8S

I wonder how it is like for people staying at Burj Khalifa.

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Mowrowy and Shiny Christmas!

mowrow — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:29:10 +0000

An $11 million 43-foot high Christmas tree at Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi is adorned with gold, silver, gems and precious stones including rubies and diamonds

$11 million 43-foot high Christmas tree at Emirates Palace hotel

P.S. This is December 2010 lOl.

Christmas trees were started in the 16th century due to Martin Luther, a German theologian. On a Christmas Eve, he was walking home under a bright, starry sky, which was so beautiful that he wanted to recreate its beauty for his children. ~Care2

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Attag – Iraqi comedy series

mowrow — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:35:40 +0000

Al Attag (Iraqi) episode about the flirting lion who turns out to be a crippled vegetarian due to the war crisis in Iraq @ http://youtu.be/XJzrtLDbvpk

FaceBook group in honor of the best comedy series everz! http://www.facebook.com/groups/attag/

Published by MoWrOw, forwarded by Fadia.

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Emirates National Day #40

mowrow — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:51:52 +0000

The National Day celebrations were bigger than I have ever seen or heard of, with full-scale shows exploding all over the Emirates.

In Dubai celebrations were at Global Village (presentations for the sheikhs), Heritage Village (65,000 balloons flown representing the number of days since union), and Burj Khalifa (big parades), and JBR (Ferrari parade).

In Abu Dhabi all over the Courniche (decorated cars, helicopters with huge flags, figher jets, fireworks, ribbon & snow madness), Zayed Sports City (projections, dances, projections), and Zayed Grand Mosque (laser mapping).

In Sharjah (traditional cafe at the fireworks), Fujeirah (inauguration of the supposed longest 15 meter sword on a new roundabout).

I sprayed cars and people with ribbons and snow (canned) for the first time, but I did get attacked in return, once with ribbons in my ear, once with snow in my face, and once with water in my eyes 8/

I watched the laser mapping show at Zayed Grand Mosque. Best thing is that it was sow empty 8D well until some inconsiderate loud-mouthed Indians stood in front of me 8/

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Dubai beaches may be contaminated

mowrow — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:35:01 +0000

Dubai beaches may be contaminated due to some sewage being dumped into storm drains that flows directly into sea of the Persian Gulf, near to the city’s swimming beaches.

Trucks lined up for miles, each with 10,000 gallons of fecal matter, with drivers on queue for a minimum of 3 days for the only sewage treatment plant in Dubai

The municipality however says the readings are within the standards.

vid

infow

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