Canada’s exit tax, or departure tax, treats residents leaving Canada as having sold most capital assets at fair market value (FMV) on their date of departure, triggering a "deemed disposition". Half of any net capital gains on these assets are taxable, ensuring Canada collects tax on gains accrued while the individual was a resident.
Departure tax
When you leave Canada, you are deemed to dispose of all of your property at its fair market value immediately before you cease to reside in Canada (even if you have not actually sold it). This deemed disposition triggers a departure tax on the gain accrued on this property before your departure.
Key Ways to Avoid Exit Tax
The U.S. exit tax (formally called the expatriation tax) applies only to “covered expatriates” who meet at least one of three tests: net worth of $2 million or more, average annual tax liability exceeding $206,000 (2025), or failure to certify five years of tax compliance.
Failure to comply with exit tax and expatriate U.S. federal tax obligations can result in substantial penalties and potential criminal liability. For instance, unless reasonable cause applies, a $10,000 penalty may apply to a failure to timely file a correct and complete Form 8854 when required for any tax year.
Top 5% The threshold amount for those who are in the top 5% is $162,210 annually. Those who fall into the top 5% category are also part of the upper middle class. They earn slightly more than the top 10%, who aren't that much above the average Canadian.
A middle-class salary varies widely but generally falls between two-thirds to double the median household income, which nationally translates roughly to $55,000 to $167,000 annually, depending on household size and, crucially, the cost of living in your specific city or state, with high-cost areas like San Jose requiring much higher earnings.
Canadian financial institutions and other payers have to withhold non-resident tax at a rate of 25% on certain types of Canadian-source income they pay or credit to you as a non-resident of Canada. The most common types of income that could be subject to non-resident withholding tax include: interest.
On a $100,000 capital gain, you'll likely pay 15% for long-term gains, resulting in about $15,000 in federal tax (plus potential state tax), but it could be 0% or 20% depending on your total taxable income and filing status, while short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income (potentially 22-24%).
After you leave Canada, as a non-resident, you pay Canadian income tax only on your Canadian source income.
Below are four strategies expatriates and their financial advisors may wish to consider employing to reduce the total amount of tax assessed on the expatriating individual.
In actual fact, you can be absent from Canada as long as you want. The Canadian government recognizes that citizens may travel extensively, work or study abroad. You will always maintain your Canadian citizenship. What absentia may affect is your Canadian health care coverage and income tax.
Over one quarter, 28.5%, of all income was earned by the top 8%, those households earning more than $150,000 a year. The top 3.65%, with incomes over $200,000, earned 17.5%. Households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $75,000, 18.2% of households, earned 16.5% of all income.
Living comfortably on $70,000 a year in California is challenging in major metro areas like LA or San Francisco but doable in more affordable regions or with significant budgeting, roommates, and a modest lifestyle, as it's below the estimated living wage for many areas but above the median income in some. Your success depends heavily on location (Central Valley vs. Bay Area), housing costs, and your ability to stick to a strict budget for food, transport, and entertainment.
Yes, you can gift your son $100,000, but since it's over the 2025 annual exclusion of $19,000, you'll need to file a gift tax return (Form 709), though you likely won't owe taxes unless you've already used up your large lifetime exemption (over $13.99 million in 2025). Your son pays no tax on the gift, but you, as the giver, must report the amount exceeding the annual limit, which counts against your lifetime exemption.
In the U.S., you can give away or leave up to $13.99 million (in 2025) without triggering federal estate or gift taxes. (In 2026, the amount increases to $15 million under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.) If you give more than the exemption amount during your lifetime or death, the IRS applies a 40% tax to the excess.