Inheriting money from abroad? Understand the rules

By GRANT ROBERTSON

Globe and Mail Update

星期三, 8月 1, 2012 3:01上午 格林尼治标准时间+0800

As Canada’s population becomes ever more global, with immigrants bringingwealth from all over the world, a new kind of problem has emerged for estateplanners and financial advisers.

加拿大的人口正越来越国际化，移民正将财富从世界各地带入加拿大国内，一个新的问题摆在了地产规划人员和财富顾问们的面前。

When estates are bequeathed insideCanada, the laws are oftenstraightforward on what needs to be done, with a proper will and an executorbeing at the top of the list. But when one or more other countries come intoplay – as is so often the case with immigrants toCanada– the rules of thegame become increasingly muddled.

当财产的遗赠发生在加拿大国内的话，如果有适当的遗嘱以及按照排序的方式，法律给予了直截了当的处理方法。但是，当出现一个国家或者多个国家的情况的时候—这往往发生在加拿大的移民身上—游戏规则正变得混乱。

It’s a scenario that financial advisers are seeing more of as thepopulation expands and diversifies.

随着人口的增加和多样化，财富顾问们正日益关注这个问题。

“We’re far more global than we used to be,” says Sara Plant,vice-president and national director of wealth services for BMO Harris PrivateBanking.

“我们当前正变得国际化，而过去不是这样。”BMO HARRIS 私人银行财富服务副主席兼全国董事SARA PLANT如是说。

“We’re seeing families that are here and they’ve left assets in otherjurisdictions all around the world. It isn’t necessarily only where they camefrom. You could have somebody who’s moved fromIndia, for example, and theyhave family in theUnited States, and they have family inEngland, and theyhave assets in those jurisdictions.”

“我们正看到这里的一些家庭，他们已经将其资产留在了世界上的其他国家里面。至于留在哪里，与他们来自哪里没有必然的联系。你可能发现有些人来自印度，但是他们在美国还有家庭，在英国也有家庭，他们在那些国家里面有资产。”

Navigating these complex situations is a growing job for advisers, sincethe people receiving the inheritance inCanadamay not have thought aboutpotential problems they could face. Or they are new to the country and don’tnecessarily understand the rules.

鉴于在加拿大境内继承财产的人群可能没有想到这些潜在的问题，但是对于顾问们来讲，梳理这些复杂的情况是正成为一项工作。这些人群要么新到加拿大，要么不了解相关的规则。

But the stakes are considerable, since an inheritance from outside Canadacould leave the person on the receiving end with a hefty tax bill if the rightpreparations aren’t made.

但是，如果没有正确的准备，而从加拿大境外继承财产可能会使继承人遭受巨额的上税，从这一方面讲，这个问题是严重的。

“What we tend to find when people come from another country is that theybring with them expectations about inheritance laws,” but those expectationsaren’t always accurate, Ms. Plant says.

PLANT女士说：“当存在有来自另外一个国家的移民时，我们发现他们对于继承法的规定有一定的了解。”，“但是，那些了解不都是准确的。”

The key advice estate planners have for Canadians who may be getting aninternational inheritance, or new immigrants who could face that scenario inthe future, is to start planning early – in advance of the person’s death – toavoid tax problems.

地产规划师们提供给从海外继承财产的加拿大人或者在将来可能会遇到这类问题的新移民的至关重要的建议是：尽早规划—在遗赠人去世之前进行规划—从而避免税务问题。

If the estate involves a large amount of money, say more than $1-million,advisers suggest placing the funds in an inbound inheritance trust, which willshield it from taxes.

如果地产的金额很大，比如超过100万加币，顾问们建议将其置于加拿大的遗产信托，这样可以避免上税。”

Though the inheritance itself won’t face taxation inCanada, the returnsthat capital yields if it is invested will lead to a stinging tax bill everyyear. Such a trust can protect that income as well.

虽然继承的财产本身不会在加拿大境内面临税务问题，但是如果用其进行投资而产生的收益的话，这将导致每年上税。这类的信托可以保护这类收益也不会被受到征税。

“If that $1-million was put into a properly structured offshore trust ofwhich the Canadian child is a beneficiary, then the investment income that’searned in that offshore trust can be non-taxable in Canada indefinitely,” saysPrashant Patel, vice-president of high net worth planning services at RBCWealth Management.

“如果那100万加币被置于经过适当规划的离岸信托，而这些信托的受益人为加拿大的小孩子的话，这样，从离岸信托所获得的投资收益在加拿大境内将永远不会被征税。”RBC财富管理中心高净值规划服务副主席PRASHANTPATEL如是说。

“Theinformal term for such investment vehicles is a Granny Trust, a name derivedfrom the idea of a grandmother overseas leaving her possessions to the familyinCanada, ”says Jamie Golombek, managing director of tax and estateplanning at CIBC Private Wealth Management.

“这个投资基金的非正式的名称为GRANNY TRUST（奶奶信托），该名称来源于一位将其资产留给加拿大境内的家人的海外的老奶奶的故事。”CIBC私人银行财富管理事业部的税务合资产规划部的总裁JAMIE GOLOMBEK 如是说。

“You can receive it tax free, but if you invest it in something you aregoing to pay tax annually,” Mr. Golombek says. And that tax applies to “anygains that you realized in whatever you invested in, like the stock market orbonds.”

“你可以免税继承财产，但是如果你将其投入到每年必须上税的项目上面去的话，那么投资收益将不得不上税，比如证券市场或者债券。”GOLOMBEK说。

But the catch, Mr. Golombek and other advisers point out, is that thetrust has to be set up early, before the person dies. Wait until the will isbeing read, and it’s too late to protect yourself from taxes.

但是，正如GOLOMBEK先生和其他顾问们指出的那样，问题在将继承的财产置于信托基金的时间要早于遗赠人的去世时间。等待到宣读遗嘱的时候，这样就太晚了，以至于无法免除征税。

This is a mistake that is often made, because people are unaware of therequirements.

这是一个经常犯的错误，因为人们不知道这个规则。

“We get phone calls all the time saying so-and-so just died, I heard aboutthis offshore trust. But it has to be in the will. It has to be done in advancebefore the individual passes away,” Mr. Golombek said.

GOLOMBEK说：“我们接到一些电话，告诉我们谁谁谁刚刚去世，我听说了这个离岸信托。但是置于信托的工作应出现在遗嘱中，并且应在遗赠人去世之前办理。”

“We certainly are seeing executives being transferred toCanadaas part ofglobal companies, and this is always a planning idea that we would recommend tothem, because we know they’ve got someone offshore. They’ve got someone in HongKong orLondonorFrance.”

“当然，我们发现一些跨国公司的高层人员被派到加拿大工作，这是我们经常向他们推荐的规划思路，因为我们知道他们在加拿大境外有遗赠人。他们有遗赠人在香港或者伦敦或者法国。”

But the complications aren’t always on the Canadian side. Rules in somecountries about whether real estate ownership can transfer outside thatjurisdiction, or whether funds can leave the country, can also stand in the wayof an inheritance. In those cases, advisers look at the rules in eachjurisdiction individually.

但是，问题的复杂性不单单出现在加拿大这方面。一些国家关于不动产所有权是否可以转让到境外有规定，或者关于资金是否被允许离开该国家，也是挡在继承问题上面的难题。在那些情况下，顾问们将分门别类地进行具体分析。

Ritu Narayan, director of the immigrant investor program at RBC WealthManagement, says many newcomers toCanadaaren’t well versed in what financialplanning is needed for estates because they have been focusing on other aspectsof their move.

RBC财富管理机构的投资移民董事RITU NARAYAN说，许多来到加拿大的新人对于财产需要什么样的财富规划不熟悉，因为他们对于其他方面的关注度更高而忽略了这方面的考虑。

“Very often they say, ‘We were not aware of it,’ because all they werefocusing on was getting their permanent residency status,” Ms. Narayan says.“So that’s where we play a role.”

“他们经常说，‘我们不知道这方面的事情’，因为他们所关注的是如何获得他们的永久居留问题。”NARAYAN女士说，“于是，这就是我们发挥作用的地方。”

关键词：涉外继承  涉外继承律师