Non-Resident Sales

When a non-resident of Canada is the Seller of real property special considerations apply to ensure that the government of Canada is paid all applicable taxes on sale.

s.116 Income Tax Act - provides that the BUYER must withhold between 25-50% [depending on the nature of the property] of the Purchase Price from the Seller until the Seller provides the Buyer with evidence that they have obtained a s.116 clearance certificate from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Currently these certificates are taking up to 8 months to process, therefore, Vendors are advised to apply early, and ensure that they can clear financial charges from title without the entire purchase price prior to entering into a binding contract.