Investment Q&A

Q: In recent questions, you have recommended VEE as a Canadian emerging markets ETF. In the past, you often recommended ZEM. Is this observation correct? If it is correct, why do you now prefer VEE to ZEM?

For a TFSA account, would you still prefer VEE to ZEM? If I am reading the company information correctly, ZEM appears to be more tax efficient and has had a higher return over the last 5 years.

Your advice is most appreciated. Thank you.

Q: Thanks for the presentations at the Canadian Fin. Summit.

My question is regarding taxation of ETF's. I'd like to know if I understood correctly. I have VWO, GDXJ and ZID all in my RRSP (USD and CAD accounts respectively). Are you advising that they should be moved to non-registered accounts?

Q: good morning - further to a question last week about trading within a TFSA and limiting the number of trades to keep below CRA radar I am unclear on what constitutes a "trade". Is it buying and selling the same stock or does every purchase and every sale ( whether the same company or not) constitute a trade. Thanks

Q: In the past you published a list of tax loss candidates with the best upside. Could you please do that again.

Q: Hello 5i Team
I have reviewed previous answers regarding tax loss selling, however I cannot find a clear answer to this question.
I sold a stock on September 18, 2020 with the settlement date of September 22.
The thirty-day period from the trade date (September 18) is October 18.
The thirty-day period from the settlement date (September 22) is October 22.
What is the correct day I can re-purchase the stock and claim the capital loss:
1 - October 20 (settlement date October 22)?
2 - October 21 (settlement date October 23)?
Thanks

Q: I do not believe ZSP.U would be exempt from US withholding tax. Could you confirm this? If not what ETF's would be exempt from US withholding tax for a Canadian investor? ZSP is subject to US tax and worth about .24% and on a larger account significant. Thanks for your help.

Q: Hi, if an ETF with a relatively high distribution, say XEI, pays part of its distribution in ROC does that mean the underlying holdings of the ETF do not generate enough dividends on their own to cover the distribution? Thanks.

Q: Hi, could you provide any guidance as to the level of trading in a TFSA that the CRA would consider excessive? Thanks.

Q: Government uses previous year total income to determine if one is qualified for GIS (guaranteed incoming supplement). I would like to know if the GIS received from previous year is also included in the "total income" calculation? The Government of Canada site does not seem to be very clear. Thanks.

Q: Hello Peter & Team
For CRA purposes, can you please very this for me:
If I purchase a security in my investment/taxable account,
do I have to wait for 30 days before I can dispose of the security regardless of gain or loss ?
Thank you.

Q: Will there be a lot of selling pressure on the these stocks during tax loss season. Should I sell now and buy back at the end of the year.

Q: Further to Dave's question regarding the Raytheon spin-outs, once the CRA has granted them eligible under 86.1, they are not taxable until one ultimately sells them. But to elect to use the 86.1, you must file a letter with the CRA (done typically with your taxes, after you have received documentation from the company showing that this dividend (spin-out) was received, and that you are exercising this right under 86.1, to defer the tax due, until sold. Just google how to claim 86.1 cra eligibility, or taxtips.ca also has information on how to claim this eligibility. But most definitely, I believe that if you've received a T3 or T5 or similar, showing the spin-out dividend companies, you cannot ignore it, you must inform the CRA of your intention to defer.

Q: Hello 5I team,
I hear unless you investments in your TSFA are all Canadian, you would be subject to CRA tax.
Is this true?
What about ENB, a Canadian Co but with lots of USA income?
....Thanks ....JC

Q: I have a 100 post split in my TFSA and Dividend stocks are not recommended for TFSA. But the AAPL dividend is so very small so does it matter?
Thanks.

Q: Last April United Technologies became Raytheon and spun off Carrier and Otis. Initially Revenue Canada (CRA) deemed the Carrier and OTIS spin-off values as 100% taxable (incredible I know) as opposed to a 50% taxable capital gain. I know this is not your area of expertise but I'm sure many of your members were affected due to the sheer size of UTX. Do you know if the CRA ruling has been changed or is it still 100% taxable?

Q: You mentioned tax loss selling could hurt Suncor this year - J am not familiar with that concept - when does this typically occur?

Thank you

Q: Hi,
I own both BEP.UN and BEPC in my RRSP. I decided to keep both about a month ago following a response to a question. But now it seems as time goes by that the capital appreciation of BEPC outweighs by far the higher dividend of BEP.UN (at least in my case). Would you still recommend holding both today in a RRSP or to sell BEP.UN and hold only BEPC?
Thanks

Q: Hi, in Aug. I received 21 shares of BEPC from holding BEP.UN and I noticed that the book value was 1270.08 and today it's 1253.99. I think I received it at around 60.67 and today it's higher. Why does the book value fluctuate, and how can I find out what price I got it for.
Thanks, Nick

Q: I am personally fearing that the Trudeau government will sooner rather than later whack us with tax increases to pay for all the current largess. I predict one or more of a) capital gain inclusion going to 75% from 50% b) reduction of dividend tax credit c) inclusion of all or a portion of personal home sales capital gain as taxable or d) GST rate increase. This all of course would affect investment decisions. What likelihood do you see of each of these bombs dropping?

Q: Hi, do you have any comment on this small cap company? thanks.