You Can Leave Canada—But Your Taxes Might Not
The rules for leaving Canada can be overwhelming. You might be asking:
- How do I file my departure tax return?
- What happens to my TFSA, RRSP, CPP or corporation?
- Will I still owe Canadian taxes while I’m abroad?
- How do I avoid double taxation and limit CRA audits?
- Is there a way to legally reduce the taxes I owe before and after I leave?
We get it.
The rules around non-residency, deemed dispositions, and foreign reporting are extremely complicated, especially if you have assets in Canada or a business.
Moving abroad isn’t just about booking a flight. It comes with major tax implications, financial decisions, and long-term planning that most people overlook. That’s where we step in.
We’ve helped many Canadians leave the country with confidence, and our team includes Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) and Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) experienced in expat tax law and investment strategy.
Our Head of Canada Exit Planning is Obed Maurice, a dual-designated CPA in both Canada and the U.S., with over 15 years of experience. He’s a cross-border tax strategy and wealth planning expert, helping Canadians reduce taxes and build long-term financial success as they move abroad.
Whether you’re unsure about what to do with your TFSA, how to avoid departure tax surprises, or how to protect your assets abroad, we’ll guide you through it.
❗️What Can Go Wrong If You Don’t Exit Canada Properly
Leaving Canada without the right strategy can lead to major financial and legal trouble. We’ve seen Canadians face six-figure penalties, back taxes, and years of stress, all from missing a few key steps. Here’s what can happen:
- Over $100,000 in U.S. penalties for missed FBAR or Form 8621 filings
- CRA may still tax you as a resident if your departure return is incomplete
- TFSAs and RESPs become taxable, and RRSPs can trigger withholding tax
- Up to $12,000 in T1135 penalties, plus 5% of asset value each year
- Loss of tax treaty protections, leading to double taxation
- CRA audits and back taxes years after you thought you were in the clear
Reduce Tax Burden
Pay what you owe, not a dollar more.
We’ll help you navigate departure tax, withholding tax, and international treaties to keep more of your wealth.
Stay Compliant, Stay Protected
Avoid costly CRA mistakes.
We’ll help you report your assets, file your departure return, and follow the exact steps the CRA requires when you leave Canada.
Gain Financial Clarity
Know exactly what to do with your Canadian accounts and assets.
We’ll build a custom exit plan that works for your goals, timeline, and destination.
🌍 Trusted by Canadians Moving Around the World
We’ve helped Canadians successfully exit and settle abroad with a clear financial strategy and no CRA surprises.
Here are just a few of the countries we’ve helped clients move to (plus many more!):
🇺🇸 USA 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇪🇸 Spain 🇦🇪 UAE
🇻🇳 Vietnam 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇮🇹 Italy 🇫🇷 France 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
How Our Process Works
Step 1: Book a Discovery Call
Let’s start with a video discovery call to understand your cross-border goals and potential tax risks. We’ll clarify key issues like departure tax, residency, RRSPs, real estate, or corporate holdings. You’ll also receive guidance on whether a full plan is needed, and which advisory path makes the most sense. Book your discovery call here.
Step 2: Discovery & Risk Assessment
After booking, we’ll review your intake form and prepare for our meeting. During the session, we’ll discuss your timeline, tax exposure, and any red flags. You’ll receive a short written summary with our observations, early recommendations, and a quote if further planning is required.
Step 3: Execute & Optimize
We’ll support your next steps, from filing tax forms and projections to optimizing your investments, corporate structure, and retirement plans. Whether you need full compliance help or long-term financial planning, we’ll guide you every step of the way.
Our Packages and Pricing
Canada Exit Free Discovery Call
This call helps determine whether professional cross-border planning is needed. We focus on understanding your situation and explaining next steps. No advice is provided during this call.
What This Call Includes:
– Video call with a cross-border planner
– Structured discussion to understand your goals, timing, and overall situation.
– Identification of potential planning areas to explore further
– Outline of next steps and planning options and costs
– Quote for future planning services
– Note that this is not a consultation call, and no advice can be provided in this call.
Canada Exit Advisory Call
This is the next step after the free discovery call, or the right place to start if you want advice right away. This paid advisory call provides personalized guidance on your exit from Canada, including risks, timing, and next steps.
What This Call Includes:
– 60-minute video call with a cross-border planner
– High-level guidance on departure tax, residency, RRSPs, TFSAs, and real estate
– Written summary of red flags, next steps, and planning options
– Quotes for future planning services (if needed)
Canada Exit Blueprint
For Canadians ready to leave and need full cross-border planning and tax guidance. This includes a tailored strategy and hands-on support for filings, projections, and coordination.
What You’ll Get:
– Custom departure tax strategy
– Timing plan for asset liquidation, withdrawals, and corporate moves
– Compliance support (forms, elections, disclosures)
– Coordination with CPAs and cross-border legal experts
– Optional late-filing or CRA/IRS cleanup
Testimonial
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FAQs
Yes! It’s better late than never. We can still review your situation and reduce future risks.
We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of keeping or collapsing these accounts based on your destination and tax treaty.
Not necessarily. It depends on your residency status and income sources. We’ll help you avoid paying taxes unnecessarily.
We specialize in helping business owners manage or wind down corporations tax-efficiently before or after departure.
We’ll guide you through departure tax, retained earnings, and key filings to ensure your exit is compliant and minimizes tax.
Yes, we can help. Even without a corporation, there are still key tax steps when leaving Canada, like reporting business income properly and closing out GST/HST accounts. We’ll walk you through everything to ensure a clean, compliant exit.
Your plan will be led by Obed Maurice, our Head of Canada Exit Planning—a dual-designated CPA in both Canada and the U.S. Depending on your destination, we also coordinate with other CPAs and financial specialists who understand the local tax laws in the country you’re moving to.
You’ll also work with Simon Wong, CFP® with an MBA in accounting, who is our lead financial planner for international moves. Simon is often the first point of contact for your strategy session and helps guide clients through the financial planning side of their transition.
Chris Liew, the founder of Blueprint Financial and a CFA Charterholder, oversees every plan behind the scenes. He also steps in for complex investment strategies given his strong background in that field.
