Investment Q&A

Q: Hi Team,
When selling to open a put option position that expires in Jan 2018, is the premium received to be reported in 2018 tax return assuming it expires worthless in 2018?
Thank you.

Q: I would like to place some Mawer fund that is mostly in foreign stocks into my TFSA. Are there any withholding tax implications?
Thanks for your answer. HD

Q: Hi,
Further to your reply: "ENB pays its dividend in Canadian dollars. You could buy it in the US, in a US account, and dividends would be converted, but you would incur exchange fees.
Rather than looking at this strategy, we might instead holding some US exposure in general, for general diversification, and avoid trying to predict currency movements"

Since I'm seeking USD income, I'm looking for the biggest bang for my buck (so the Dividend Tax Credit is something I would want to take advantage of). Would my strategy work with something like a ENB.PR.U (USD preferred)? Or does the same currency conversion issue occur. Thanks again.

Q: If i own this in a tfsa will I have to pay tax on the interest?

Q: I apologies; I mis-phrased my question. The DRIP investments would be in addition to the TFSA and RSP investments (in different securities). As I understand things, a DRIP with a company sponsored plan such as TRP thru Computershare cannot be held inside a registered account. Is this correct? If so the $5k position in the non-registered (DRIP) account would not amount to a $25k per stock concentration and I believe the dividend tax credit would be useful since the account is non-registered. Thank you for your suggestions and service. I like your suggestions but a little surprised that a utility such as FTS was not recommended. Is there a reason you would not suggest a utility DRIP for a long term hold? Jim.

Q: Re Jim's question 26th June about his daughter's RSP & TFSA.
Don't think she can get the dividend tax credit if shares are held in these accounts. Did I miss something?

Q: I am considering making a rather substantial (for me) investment in Energy Transfer Partners (symbol ETP). I am however concerned about the fact this is a USA Limited Partnership. I'm wondering if the distributions might be subjected to any withholding taxes or if I might find myself needing to file one or more USA Income Tax Returns, in the states within which the limited partnership operates? The investment will be made within either my RRSP, my LIRA or my TFSA account. I am considering investing up to $50,000.00 in this entity and so would very much appreciate any advice you may be able to offer regarding potential tax or regulatory hurdles I might face today or in the future, as a Canadian citizen making an investment in a USA domiciled Limited Partnership. Thank you.

Q: You recently answered a question on these... would the distribution be income or dividends? Would any be okay in a tfsa or better in an rrsp or non-registered?

Q: Could you confirm that dividends of companies domiciled in Canada, regardless of the exchange they are listed on, and paid and received in US dollars still qualify for the Canadian dividend tax credit? As such, I assume that there would not be any US withholding tax (non-reg accounts). It would only be the US dividends from US corporations that would have 15% withheld?

Thank you.

Paul F.

Q: Is there a way to determine whether the dividends paid out by a company will be taxed as income or will receive the dividend tax credit, in an unregistered account? for example: enb.to, enf.to, bep/un.to, bip/un.to, bns.to, ala.to, bce.to, eci.to, etc. I am looking for solid companies with growing dividends where these dividends will be taxed more favourably as dividends and not income. Would you have a list of suitable companies? Thank you.

Q: Hi 5i,
My understanding is that if I buy units in a flow-through shares partnership, I can’t sell them until they are rolled over into a mutual fund, 1-2 years after the partnership is established. My question is: if I were to buy the flow-through shares themselves, direct from the issuing company, would there be any similar minimum holding period, during which the shares would not be tradeable, or at least not without transferring away the flow-through tax benefit? Thanks!

Q: I have stayed away from LP stocks due to worries about tax issues. Do you have any general comments on LP stocks? for example, If one holds BEP.UN on the TSX, should one purchase it in a registered or non registered account? Are there tax concerns....or is that only a problem if one purchases on the US stock exchange?

Thank you so much for your comments on this issue.

Q: I realize you are not big fans of covered call strategies however if an investor is in a situation whereby they want the income only and do not care allot about the underlying growth in the ETF, is there something really negative about these funds that I am missing? Would an investor end up paying more tax compared to a straight forward dividend ETF?

Q: As I am over 55 and live in BC I qualify to defer my property taxes until sale of our home. I will have to pay .7% interest on the deferred funds this year and the rate can change yearly. I was thinking of depositing the equivalent funds (about $2500 per year) my TFSA each year as i have unused room and I was wondering what recommendation you would make for a reasonably safe investment for these funds for the long term until sale of our home when they will come due along with interest.

Q: If I have ALA in my RRIF with a loss can I sell it and buy it back in my cash account without waiting 30 days.

Q: Hi Peter and Team,

Back in 2004 and 2005, I purchased 2 labour sponsored funds, to get the tax credit associated with them. One has gone under and the other is about half the value.

What is the minimum time I have to keep on holding to the labour sponsored fund, without being penalized for the tac credit?

Tganks

Q: I am an investor with no employment income. I have cash to deploy in both a Registered and Unregistered account. I am looking at KWH.UN, HOT.UN TD and BNS.
Should the REITs or the banks go into the registered or unregistered account?

Q: Just wanted to say that successor holder for TFSA can only be spouse otherwise has to be beneficiary. Beneficiary will get the money whereas successor holder can merge the TFSA market value into their own TFSA.

Thanks for all your work.

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Q: If I may add my two cents worth to the question from Valdis re RRSP or RFSA, another advantage for the TFSA is estate concerns. When a person passes on, should there be say, $100,000 in an RRSP or RRIF, that RRSP or RRIF will be added to the final net income and therefore, attract a huge bill from the tax man. On the other hand, the TFSA will be passed on to the heirs tax free. In this situation, an individual is better off to convert as much as possible from his/her RRSP/RRIF to the TFSA, depending on the current income tax situation (take every opportunity to do so). The TSFA is, of course, paid with tax paid dollars whereas the RRSP pre-tax dollars.

5i Research Answer:
Good point; thank you. It is best to name a successor holder to facilitate the tax free transfer. Otherwise, income generated post death may be taxable.

Q: If I may add my two cents worth to the question from Valdis re RRSP or RFSA, another advantage for the TFSA is estate concerns. When a person passes on, should there be say, $100,000 in an RRSP or RRIF, that RRSP or RRIF will be added to the final net income and therefore, attract a huge bill from the tax man. On the other hand, the TFSA will be passed on to the heirs tax free. In this situation, an individual is better off to convert as much as possible from his/her RRSP/RRIF to the TFSA, depending on the current income tax situation (take every opportunity to do so). The TSFA is, of course, paid with tax paid dollars whereas the RRSP pre-tax dollars.

Q: Hi: can you explain the advantages to holding some stocks in an RRSP while others should be in a Tfsa?

Thanks