US Citizen relocating to Canada

Anyone have any helpful words for a pilot and plane owner possibly moving to
Canada?

Specifically, property taxes and other cost of ownership issues. Also,
ability to rent with a US certificate from Canadian schools if I decide not
to take the plane with me. Lastly, can you use a US Commercial certificate
for flying jobs in Canada?

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:46:23 GMT, "Dude" wrote:

Anyone have any helpful words for a pilot and plane owner possibly moving to
Canada?

Specifically, property taxes and other cost of ownership issues. Also,
ability to rent with a US certificate from Canadian schools if I decide not
to take the plane with me. Lastly, can you use a US Commercial certificate
for flying jobs in Canada?



Your US Commercial Cert will not let you do anything with a C-reg plane in
Canada, on its own. You can get the equivalent Canadian license with
minimal instruction, although the commercial limitations may be a bit
different. This type of kicense, based on your US Certificate, is valid only
as long as all requirements for the US one are still valid (currency,
medical, etc.).

You cannot rent (or act as PIC) a C-reg plane with the US cert. You can
keep and fly a US-reg aircraft in Canada, as long as it is personally owned
-- not owned by a company.

I suggest you join COPA (www.copanational.org) but you can get sonme info
from their website as a guest.

If you import your US-registered aircraft, you will have to pay provincial
and federal sales taxes. The plane will also be subject to duty -- probably
at about 27% of current value. All in all, taxes/duties can total over 40%
of the value of the plane.

You can get more detailed info from COPA, and possibly from AOPA as well.

Thanks for the heads up!

I suggest you join COPA (www.copanational.org) but you can get sonme info
from their website as a guest.

Wilco


If you import your US-registered aircraft, you will have to pay provincial
and federal sales taxes. The plane will also be subject to duty --
probably
at about 27% of current value. All in all, taxes/duties can total over
40%
of the value of the plane.

You can get more detailed info from COPA, and possibly from AOPA as well.

Holy Communism Batman! That's insane! Do I get a refund when I leave in a
couple years?

Seems to me that a US-registered airplane can only be in
Canada for up to 90 days in any calendar year. Might be an issue for
you.
Duty on a used airplane? First I've heard of it. GST (Federal
tax) and any applicable provincal taxes would apply. Our government
likes to tax us to death.

Dan

wrote:
Seems to me that a US-registered airplane can only be in
Canada for up to 90 days in any calendar year. Might be an issue for
you.
Duty on a used airplane? First I've heard of it. GST (Federal
tax) and any applicable provincal taxes would apply. Our government
likes to tax us to death.

Dan

I suspect you are right. However I know of someone who
was told by Transport Canada to just leave it with an
N-number on it (it was for private use only). The version
I heard from this individual was that Transport doesn't
have a "private operator equivalent" of the leasing regs.
for commercial N-numbered aircraft. (In this case, the
airplane was FAA type certified, but not Transport Canada
type certified, so Transport had no way of issuing a CofA.)

I suppose you might have to take a cross boarder cross
country, to be legit.

However, I have observed that switching from an N-number to
Canadian C-xxxx can be a challenge. The airworthiness folks
at Transport can be nitpicky. They want to see the airplane
configured exactly the way it left the factory, unless you
have STC paperwork for all changes. Then there are things
like different ELT standards, etc.

I know of a case where such an inspection failed because
there was no yellow triangular "ELT installed here" sticker
on the airframe. When the owner stated that he'd get
one right away, the Transport Inspector shrugged his
shoulders and said, "Once you've done that, call the office
and schedule another inspection". That happenned, three
weeks later.

rick

On 24 Jan 2005 11:40:25 -0800, wrote:


wrote:
Seems to me that a US-registered airplane can only be in
Canada for up to 90 days in any calendar year. Might be an issue for
you.
Duty on a used airplane? First I've heard of it. GST (Federal
tax) and any applicable provincal taxes would apply. Our government
likes to tax us to death.

Dan

I suspect you are right. However I know of someone who
was told by Transport Canada to just leave it with an
N-number on it (it was for private use only). The version
I heard from this individual was that Transport doesn't
have a "private operator equivalent" of the leasing regs.
for commercial N-numbered aircraft. (In this case, the
airplane was FAA type certified, but not Transport Canada
type certified, so Transport had no way of issuing a CofA.)

I suppose you might have to take a cross boarder cross
country, to be legit.

However, I have observed that switching from an N-number to
Canadian C-xxxx can be a challenge. The airworthiness folks
at Transport can be nitpicky. They want to see the airplane
configured exactly the way it left the factory, unless you
have STC paperwork for all changes. Then there are things
like different ELT standards, etc.

I know of a case where such an inspection failed because
there was no yellow triangular "ELT installed here" sticker
on the airframe. When the owner stated that he'd get
one right away, the Transport Inspector shrugged his
shoulders and said, "Once you've done that, call the office
and schedule another inspection". That happenned, three
weeks later.

rick

You could bring it into Canada for a visit and keep it Nreg and legaly
fly it with just your american license. I sincerly doubt that anyone
is tracking how mmany days it stays in the country per year. I know of
a maule thats been flying around our area for a couple years this way
still with it's N#

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 19:20:51 GMT, "Dude" wrote:

Thanks for the heads up!

I suggest you join COPA (www.copanational.org) but you can get sonme info
from their website as a guest.

Wilco


If you import your US-registered aircraft, you will have to pay provincial
and federal sales taxes. The plane will also be subject to duty --
probably
at about 27% of current value. All in all, taxes/duties can total over
40%
of the value of the plane.

You can get more detailed info from COPA, and possibly from AOPA as well.

Holy Communism Batman! That's insane! Do I get a refund when I leave in a
couple years?

If you are only planning to stay temporarily, and you own the plane
personally, leave it an an N-reg, and fly it as a US-registered pilot. You
may not be able to do any commercial activity (not sure )-- check with FAA
and CAA) but I doubt it.

Dude wrote:
Anyone have any helpful words for a pilot and plane owner possibly
moving to
Canada?

Specifically, property taxes and other cost of ownership issues.
Also,
ability to rent with a US certificate from Canadian schools if I
decide not
to take the plane with me. Lastly, can you use a US Commercial
certificate
for flying jobs in Canada?

Can't help w.r.t. the taxes, etc, but...

To fly a C-xxxx airplane (Canadian registered), you must have a
Canadian License. For PPL priviledges, one can be acquired from
Transport Canada based
on your US Certificate (which needs to be current, so if I was
you I'd get a medical and flight review done before leaving the US).

For Commercial flying, you'd need to go through all the hoops.
(Canadian Medical, Written, Flight Test...)

As for the airplane, I think it will be much simpler to leave
it US registered than trying to switch to Canadian Registration.
(About the only inconvenience for private operation would be
having to take it to an FAA A&P/IA for the annual.)
Although it is somewhat involved, it is possible for a flying
school to lease a US registered aircraft and then operate it
on their rental fleet. FCI, which is based in St. Catherines
and Pheonix AZ does this with some of their aircraft. I know
because the boss in St. Catherines complains that Transport
charges him $1000 every time he does it.

Good luck with it, rick

There is no duty or taxes on personal property - including private
aircraft when you move to Canada. See
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cp/...html#P144_5246

Depending on the province, there will be normal "vehicle like"
registration fees - just like in US.

On 23 Jan 2005 15:06:31 -0800, wrote:

There is no duty or taxes on personal property - including private
aircraft when you move to Canada. See
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cp/...html#P144_5246

Depending on the province, there will be normal "vehicle like"
registration fees - just like in US.

I've never paid or for that matter heard of provincial registration
fees for planes. Aviation in Canada is federally regulated. One extra
fee you will have to pay is the nav Canada $55 service charge anually