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Canadian corporation continuance offshore

BobRoss

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Nov 25, 2019
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I have made extensive researches lately in an attempt to find a legal way to reduce my tax burden as a Canadian-controlled private corporation (CCPC).

Situation :

1) Incorporated federally.

2) No office or employee or tangible property in Canada. Single shareholder (the director) who performs work from home for worldwide customers (foreign income). The company owns equipment (valued at $200,000+) located in the United States (not constituting a Nexus), cash and shares of publicly traded companies.

3) Currently pays 80,000+$ corporate income tax + personal income tax.

The best plan I have found so far is :

1) Continuance of the corporation offshore. Opening of an offshore bank account. All options other than continuance will trigger taxes on the disposition of assets to the offshore company.

2) Director (mind and management) must relocate in the same jurisdiction. Residency must be obtained, usually by staying at least 180 or 182 (non-consecutive) days.

3) Payment processor can remain Paypal, but payout can only be made to a US bank account. It should be possible as a Canadian citizen to register a US bank account (e.g. perhaps through RBC).

My questions are :

1) The process of continuation is as follows : the offshore corporation is created, a Letter of Satisfaction is obtained and forwarded to the offshore authorities and a Certificate of Continuance is obtained :


1.1) A departure tax is applicable. What properties exactly are taxed? I believe that equipment and intellectual property actively used by the business is not taxed, is that correct? So, in our case, the departure tax is only applicable to the shares of publicly traded companies?

1.2) What could go wrong / how could this process be refused by the Canadian or offshore authorities (e.g. by application of a GAAR rule)?

2) What jurisdiction is most favourable? I find Barbados to be most interesting. Because of its tax treaty with Canada, I expect less friction when eventually repatriating money in Canada. Furthermore, the treaty clearly defines that a corporation is resident where it is national (hence the continuance) and an individual is resident where a permanent residence is established. It appears to be a relatively easy jurisdiction to become resident (i.e. one can possibly stay in Barbados for 180 days without a Visa, leave few days and come back and). Corporate income tax in Barbados is very low (1-5.5%). There is a 12.5% dividends witholding tax, however more careful planning can be done. There is no witholding tax paid on income from foreign source (all our income is from outside Barbados) to non-resident, so leaving the island to pay dividends as a lump sum payment can be done.

I'm very excited by the prospect of lowering my tax burden legally, but this all sounds too good to be true.

Anything else I should know?

Thank you !
 
So you are saying you plan to leave Canada?

If you want to pay taxes at 0% you can go somewhere like Panama but you need to make sure you are not a resident of Canada for tax purposes. So you need to spend more than half your time out of the country and cut major ties and have ties in panama like drivers license, property, dependents, gym memberships etc.
 
1) Continuance of the corporation offshore. Opening of an offshore bank account. All options other than continuance will trigger taxes on the disposition of assets to the offshore company.

2) Director (mind and management) must relocate in the same jurisdiction. Residency must be obtained, usually by staying at least 180 or 182 (non-consecutive) days.
Do you mean your plan is to leave Canada, become a residence of another Country and continue to operate the Canadian corporation abroad?

So you are saying you plan to leave Canada?

If you want to pay taxes at 0% you can go somewhere like Panama but you need to make sure you are not a resident of Canada for tax purposes. So you need to spend more than half your time out of the country and cut major ties and have ties in panama like drivers license, property, dependents, gym memberships etc.

If there's an existing Canadian corporation, with the sole director emigrating Canada and becoming a non-resident (ie. moving to Panama), is the existing Canadian corporation still liable for taxes?
 
Do you mean your plan is to leave Canada, become a residence of another Country and continue to operate the Canadian corporation abroad?



If there's an existing Canadian corporation, with the sole director emigrating Canada and becoming a non-resident (ie. moving to Panama), is the existing Canadian corporation still liable for taxes?

Of course its still liable for taxes. Its even worse in this situation because the company will no long be able to use the small business deduction and will have to pay taxes at the higher rate.
 
Of course its still liable for taxes. Its even worse in this situation because the company will no long be able to use the small business deduction and will have to pay taxes at the higher rate.

Right, it seems as long as it's incorporated after 1965 it is a Canadian corporation worldwide, is this correct?

Deemed resident – Subsection 250(4)
A corporation is deemed to have been resident in Canada throughout a tax year if:
  • it was incorporated in Canada after April 26, 1965; or
  • it was incorporated in Canada before April 27, 1965, and, during any tax year after April 26, 1965, it:
    • was resident in Canada under the common-law principles discussed below; or
    • carried on business in Canada
If a corporation is not deemed resident under the ITA, it may still be a resident of Canada under common law.
 

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