Tax on Foreign Income

The following is my tax situation which I think is worth sharing.

Following a currency conversion using the prescribed BoC US$ exchange rate of 1.0748, my US dividend income is $326 and my withholding tax deducted is $50--damn you IRS.

Since I was a student in 2007, my basic federal tax amount on my T2209 (used to claim foreign tax credit) is only about $171. My combined federal and provincial foreign tax credit wasn't even $5.

So for my foreign dividend income, I ended up paying:
50 + (326 - 45) * 0.15 - 5 = 87.37!!!!

That is a whooping 26%+ tax rate! DOUBLE-YOU-TEE-EFF!!!! By the way, the 45 is a foreign tax deduction allowed by section 20(12), which can be applied because my foreign tax credit isn't large enough to recover all of my foreign tax paid. See: IT506

The moral of the story is that for a young investor with a very low income and lots of tuition tax credits, withholding tax BITES. You will likely not have enough foreign tax credit to recover the 15% withholding tax and end up getting double taxed. Think this scenario over before investing in foreign markets.

CIA Granting Prelim Credits via University

Future Education Model for the CIA

Some might be surprised that I don't like this idea even though I complain about the SOA's exam fee far too often. It just too dangerous: a get out of jail free card if I may say so.

Drawing upon my own experience, this arrangement is similar to IB, which relies on local schools to deliver the IB syllabus. However, the IBO has an extensive system of external assessments and final examinations--the CIA system will have none of the above. I have first hand experience at how poor the delivery of a top-notch syllabus can get at the lower levels. Even though I would like to think that an university education will always be of the highest caliber, a lot of times it's just not (*cough* business... *cough*). What's the big deal about writing another easy exam anyways if you already know your stuff?

My other objection is why is it an university's job to churn out practicing actuaries? I have always firmly believe that an university is place of learning--and thus why I think business faculties are a joke. I don't think an university's curriculum should be controlled by anything, let alone the CIA. There is big gap between academic and business, and I'm not sure whether bridging this gap by allowing a business-oriented professional organization to meddle in academic affairs is such a good idea--nor necessary.

When I first saw this document on AO, my first thought was, "The SOA will NEVER go along with this." Actuarial education is piss poor in the states and it would be too weird for the SOA to allow Canadian students to get special treatment. I wonder how far can the CIA go with this plan without SOA support. Make it possible to be a FCIA without completing all the FSA requirements? Create their own education system? If they do, will anyone care :P?