Advice for a Newbe..... Please

[Calgary_Girl]

To be eligible to participate in Canada's health care system, which varies from province to province, you need to be a resident of that province, which it doesn't sound like you are, or a Canadian citizen.

 

[Hyperborea]

To be eligible to participate in Canada's health care system, which varies from province to province, you need to be a resident of that province, which it doesn't sound like you are, or a Canadian citizen. (emphasis added)

Being a Canadian citizen isn't enough.  You need to be a resident of a province.  I'm a Canadian citizen but I don't live in Canada so I don't get the Canadian health care coverage.  I would have to set up residence in a Canadian province to become eligible.  Some provinces (e.g. Ontario) also have a waiting period after you establish residence during which you are not eligible for coverage.

Establishing residence in a province for health care coverage means that you've also established residence in Canada.  That therefore makes you subject to Canadian taxation.  The OP will likely have to be filing both Canadian and US taxes.  He is a Canadian resident (and a Canadian citizen but that isn't sufficient for Canadian taxes) and a US citizen (which is sufficient for US taxes).  He will get tax credits for taxes paid in other jurisdictions so that he isn't double taxed but they don't always balance out because the exemptions and rates are different.  What will effectively happen is that he will get the worst tax rates of either jurisdiction.  That includes Florida's intangibles tax - a wealth tax.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I am a Canadian Citizen, I do have also a residence address in Canada and the USA. I have not lived in Canada for the required period in any year, yet I do pay into a health system. I have not been refused health care yet. But hardly ever use it. I file taxes in the USA annually. I do not keep any cash other than a small amount of living capital in Canada and do not generate a significant of interest there.

SWR

 

[Hyperborea]

I have not been refused health care yet. But hardly ever use it. I file taxes in the USA annually. I do not keep any cash other than a small amount of living capital in Canada and do not generate a significant of interest there.

Just because you haven't been refused care doesn't mean that you aren't a Canadian tax resident. Using the health care system is a primary tie for residence. You must be a provincial resident to use the provincial health care system. Being a provincial resident makes you a Canadian resident.

You may not get caught right away but that doesn't mean that you aren't evading taxes if you don't file a Canadian tax return. It doesn't matter where the money actually is but only where your residence is and you made that Canada by creating primary ties (use of the provincial health care system). Canada like the US and many other countries taxes you on worldwide income so it doesn't matter where the assets are.

I suppose the other option is that you aren't a provincial resident and a Canadian resident but instead are fraudulently using the health care system. That's a criminal offence.

A final option is that this is a misunderstanding. Are you using the provincial health care coverage? Or are you using the facilities but the fees are being paid for by some sort of non-resident/traveller's health insurance?