My question is: Canadian-specific
QUESTION: I've read about the advantages of using depreciation to lower
taxes but I understand you get hit hard with taxes when you sell because of
the bigger difference between the depreciated price and the selling price.
As a real estate investor, how should I use depreciation? If I'm sure I'll
hold the property, should I start using depreciation? If I know I'm going
to sell soon, should I not use depreciation? What if I haven't decided what
to do yet? Thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
david ingram replies:
If you would buy an RRSP or an IRA, you should use depreciation when you can
and it is available.
However, a short term depreciation can work against you.
For instance, you can only use depreciation on rental property to offset
taxable profit.
You could own a rental building for 10 years, never ever make a profit and
not claim depreciation until the 10th year when a generally low overall
taxable income has you in a 30% tax bracket and $1,000 of depreciation would
get you back the grand sum of $300. Then you sell the property the next
year for a $300,000 capital gain and have to pay tax on your regular income,
the taxable $150,000 of the capital gain (1/2 of the gain) and the $1,000
depreciation claimed the year before.
In this case you would be adding the $1,000 back at a 44% tax bracket and
paying $440 tax back for the $300 refund received the year before.
However, I have picked an extreme case. If your marginal tax bracket was
44% anyway, you would always claim depreciation because you will be paying
it back at the same or a lower rate.
And in general I usually tell people to claim it when they can. If you save
$1,000 in tax today and don't have to pay it back for ten years it is almost
always has to be to your benefit.
Each situation is likely different but I hope this helps.
This is the Canadian answer. The US insists that depreciation be claimed
and recapture is calculated on the depreciation that was "allowable" even if
you did not actually get it. The Canadian system is much easier. And just
to keep the answer straight, depreciation is an American term. Canada's
term is officially "capital cost allowance" otherwise known as CCA.
Answers to this and other similar questions can be obtained free on Air
every Sunday morning.
Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, I, david ingram am a
permanent guest on Fred Snyder of Dundee Wealth Managers' LIVE talk show
called "ITS YOUR MONEY"
Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the internet
at
www.600AM.com <http://www.600am.com/>
Call (604) 280-0600 to have your question answered. BC listeners can also
call 1-866-778-0600.
Callers to the show and questioners on this board can also attend the
Thursday Night seminars on finance and making your Canadian Mortgage
Interest deductible.
David Ingram's US/Canada Services
US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists
US / Canada Real Estate Specialists
Home office at:
4466 Prospect Road
North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7
Cell (604) 657-8451 -
(604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325
Calls welcomed from 9 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week (please do not fax or phone
outside of those hours as this is a home office)
email to taxman at centa.com <mailto:taxman at centa.com>
www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> www.david-ingram.com
<http://www.david-ingram.com/>
Disclaimer: This question has been answered without detailed information or
consultation and is to be regarded only as general comment. Nothing in
this message is or should be construed as advice in any particular
circumstances. No contract exists between the reader and the author and any
and all non-contractual duties are expressly denied. All readers should
obtain formal advice from a competent and appropriately qualified legal
practitioner or tax specialist in connection with personal or business
affairs such as at www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com> . If you forward
this message, this disclaimer must be included."
Be ALERT, the world needs more "lerts"
This from "ask an income tax and immigration expert" from www.centa.com
<http://www.centa.com/> or www.jurock.com <http://www.jurock.com/> or
www.featureweb.com <http://www.featureweb.com/> . David Ingram deals on a
daily basis with expatriate tax returns with:
multi jurisdictional cross and trans border expatriate problems for the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, Kuwait,
Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, New Zealand, France,
Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia,
Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, Morocco, Israel, Iraq, Iran,
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Bangkok, Greenland, Iceland, Cuba,
Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada,, Virgin Islands, US, UK,
GB, and any of the 43 states with state tax returns, etc. Rockwall, Dallas,
San Antonio and Houston Texas
Denmark, Finland, Sweden Norway Bulgaria Croatia Income Tax and Immigration
Tips, Income Tax and Immigration Wizard Income Tax and Immigration Guru
Income Tax and Immigration Consultant Income Tax and Immigration Specialist
Section 216(4) 216(1) NR6 NR-6 NR 6 Non-Resident Real Estate tax specialist
expert preparer consultant expatriate anti money laundering money seasoning
FINTRAC E677 E667 105 106 TDF-90 Reporting $10,000 cross border transactions
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,
Garland, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon.
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rockwall,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,
West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming,
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec City,
New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon and
Northwest and Nunavit Territories,
Mount Vernon, Eumenclaw, Coos Bay
and Dallas Houston Rockwall Garland
Texas Taxman and Tax Guru and wizzard
wizard - consultant - expert - advisor -advisors consultants - gurus - Paris
Prague Moscow Berlin
Lima Rio de Janeiro, Santaigo
New York, Boston, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Salem, Wheeling, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Pensacola, Miami, St Petersburg, Naples, Fort Myers,
Cape Coral, Orlando, Atlanta, Arlington, Washington, Hudson, Green Bay,
Minot, Portland, Seattle, St John, St John's, Fredericton, Quebec, Moncton,
Truro, Atlanta, Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego,
Sacramento, Taos, Grand Canyon, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sun City, Tulsa,
Monteray, Carmel, Morgantown, Bemidji, Sandpointe, Pocatello, Bellingham,
Custer, Grand Forks, Lead, Rapid City, Mitchell, Kansas City, Lawrence,
Houston, Albany, Framingham, Cambridge, London, Paris, Prince George, Prince
Rupert, Whitehorse, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Frankfurt, The Hague, Lisbon,
Madrid, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Key West, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers, Berlin,
Warsaw, Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Maui, Kuwait, Molokai, Beijing,
Shanghai, Tokyo, Manilla, Kent, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Red Deer, Olds,
Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, Brandon, Portage La Prairie, Davidson,
Craik, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Edinburgh,
Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Munich, Sydney, Nanaimo,
Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Athens, Rome, Berne, Zurich, Kyoto,
Nanking, Rio De Janeiro, Brasilia, Colombo, Buenos Aries, Squamish,
Churchill, Lima, Santiago, Abbotsford, Cologne, Yorkshire, Hope, Penticton,
Kelowna, Vernon, Fort MacLeod, Deer Lodge, Springfield, St Louis, Centralia,
Bradford, Stratford on Avon, Niagara Falls, Atlin, Fort Nelson, Fort St
James, Red Deer, Drumheller, Fortune, Red Bank, Marystown, Cape Spears,
Truro, Charlottetown, Summerside, Niagara Falls, Albany STAR WARS
ask international income tax expert preparation & immigration consultant
david ingram, North Vancouver, BC, Canada experts on RRSP RESP IRA 401(K)
radio CKBD 600AM 9 AM Sunday mornings on Fred Snyder's IT's YOUR MONEY
$
What's Related