Foreign Real Estate Buyers in Vancouver Facing New Tax

vancouver

 

It’s no secret that many wealthy individuals own multiple homes, including vacation homes in foreign countries. In an effort to capitalize on this popular trend amongst the wealthy, many countries and/or cities have created new taxes aimed specifically at wealthy real estate buyers from foreign countries. Among the latest locations to enact a new tax on wealth property buyers is Vancouver, BC in Canada.

According to recent reports, the housing market has seen a huge shopping spree lately in the area as many wealthy foreign buyers, especially from China, have been snatching up homes at a fast pace. In fact, foreign buyers spent more than a billion dollars on homes and property in British Columbia between June 10 and July 14 of this year alone. With the increasing demand for property in BC, housing prices have soared almost 30 percent in the last year, which has left many local buyers unable to compete for these homes.

Therefore, in an effort to keep things fair, the British Columbian government has issued a new 15 percent tax, which will apply, to all “foreign nationals or foreign-controlled corporations” purchasing property in the metropolitan Vancouver area. BC is not the first place to issue such a tax. Australia and Singapore both recently raised the tax on foreign real estate buyers as well. The BC government said that anyone who attempts to avoid the new tax could face fines in the six figures and up to two years behind bars.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/26/wealthy-overseas-buyers-to-face-new-real-estate-tax-in-vancouver.html

Posted in

Bond Risks and How Bond Funds Deal With Them

Bond Risks and How Bond Funds Deal With Them A bond is a promise. In return for the money lent to a corporate or governmental borrower, the borrower pledges to make periodic payments of interest at a fixed rate and to repay the original loan after a set period of time. Both the date at…

Meeting the Challenge of College Costs

Meeting the Challenge of College Costs Your child has entered high school and is just four years away from college. It’s time to get serious about figuring out how much it’s going to cost. Based on recent data from the College Board, if he or she goes to a private four-year university, the cost for…

What’s the Real Motivation Behind Keurig Moving Coffee Business From U.S.?

What’s the Real Motivation Behind Keurig Moving Coffee Business From U.S.?

What’s the Real Motivation Behind Keurig Moving Coffee Business From U.S.? By Alan Olsen Just about any large American company that does business outside of the U.S. finds ways to save money on its tax bill. That is due, in large part, to the fact that the U.S. corporate tax rate is a whopping 35…

Cyclical Stocks: Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs

Cyclical Stocks: Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs A company can provide outstanding goods or stellar services. It can be well run by a board of directors and officers who choose the best and the brightest of employees, who, in turn, manage day-to-day business operations with skill and finesse. Seems as if purchasing shares of…