Can I live in Canada but work for a UK company?

[hellorosie]

I'm a British citizen and I have my own limited company in the UK, providing consultancy services to UK universities. My wife is from Quebec and we're thinking about moving to Montreal with our two children and buying a property there. Would it be possible for me to continue to work with UK universities through my UK company but live in Quebec on a spouse visa? I think I would struggle to find clients in Canada, as my work is quite niche and only really applies to UK universities.

I currently pay taxes to the UK government quarterly (VAT) and annually (corporation tax). Could I start paying those taxes to Canada instead? Would I be double taxed? Would I be able to live in Canada without paying income taxes but paying a mortgage and any ? My wife doesn't work, she's a stay at home mum so it would just be my income. I tried to look into residence status but it's all quite confusing. Any help on this would be appreciated. Cheers!

 

[scylla]

I'm a British citizen and I have my own limited company in the UK, providing consultancy services to UK universities. My wife is from Quebec and we're thinking about moving to Montreal with our two children and buying a property there. Would it be possible for me to continue to work with UK universities through my UK company but live in Quebec on a spouse visa? I think I would struggle to find clients in Canada, as my work is quite niche and only really applies to UK universities.

I currently pay taxes to the UK government quarterly (VAT) and annually (corporation tax). Could I start paying those taxes to Canada instead? Would I be double taxed? Would I be able to live in Canada without paying income taxes but paying a mortgage and any ? My wife doesn't work, she's a stay at home mum so it would just be my income. I tried to look into residence status but it's all quite confusing. Any help on this would be appreciated. Cheers!

You can certainly do this from a Canadian perspective. You would be obligated to file Canadian income taxes annually, reporting your worldwide income. So no, you would not be able to live in Canada without paying income taxes. You would be required to pay income taxes on your worldwide income

I can't comment on UK taxes or double taxation. Hopefully someone else can help with this question.

 

[ciecie]

I'm a British citizen and I have my own limited company in the UK, providing consultancy services to UK universities. My wife is from Quebec and we're thinking about moving to Montreal with our two children and buying a property there. Would it be possible for me to continue to work with UK universities through my UK company but live in Quebec on a spouse visa? I think I would struggle to find clients in Canada, as my work is quite niche and only really applies to UK universities.

I currently pay taxes to the UK government quarterly (VAT) and annually (corporation tax). Could I start paying those taxes to Canada instead? Would I be double taxed? Would I be able to live in Canada without paying income taxes but paying a mortgage and any ? My wife doesn't work, she's a stay at home mum so it would just be my income. I tried to look into residence status but it's all quite confusing. Any help on this would be appreciated. Cheers!

Your case is pretty uncommon so if you can book a consultation with a lawyer in Montreal it would be ideal. They know better than us. But I hope someone could help you here. Good luck!

 

[CTB]

I'm a British citizen and I have my own limited company in the UK, providing consultancy services to UK universities. My wife is from Quebec and we're thinking about moving to Montreal with our two children and buying a property there. Would it be possible for me to continue to work with UK universities through my UK company but live in Quebec on a spouse visa? I think I would struggle to find clients in Canada, as my work is quite niche and only really applies to UK universities.

I currently pay taxes to the UK government quarterly (VAT) and annually (corporation tax). Could I start paying those taxes to Canada instead? Would I be double taxed? Would I be able to live in Canada without paying income taxes but paying a mortgage and any ? My wife doesn't work, she's a stay at home mum so it would just be my income. I tried to look into residence status but it's all quite confusing. Any help on this would be appreciated. Cheers!

Hello

The short answer is yes, if you're being sponsored and the visa is tied to your partner you will basically be on an open permit and can work where you like.

Laws around employment are designed to protect Canadian citizens and PR, if you're working out of the UK then by definition this is not taking work from anyone in Canada and as such isn't a problem.

I would however speak to an accountant about the tax implications and what your options are.