加拿大财政部长克里斯蒂娅·弗里兰最近宣布的预算案将投入数十亿资助年轻加拿大选民的住房计划，其中部分资金来自对富人和企业加税。弗里兰在提交预算案后在国会表示：“我们通过向富人征收应有的税款来确保加拿大税制的公平性。” 这一增税举措将资本利得税从50%提高到66%，影响到大约4万名拥有度假屋或投资房等第二房产的业主。虽然征收富人税以资助低收入加拿大人看起来是一种”劫富济贫“之公平仗义之举，但将拥有第二房产的业主视为加国社会的最富裕阶层的假设却值得质疑。事实上，最近加拿大统计局的调查揭示了一个令人意外的现实：投资房产的业主多为那些期望通过勤俭持家以获得未来财务保障的新移民群体。
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s recent budget announced a multi-billion dollar commitment to a housing program for young Canadian voters, to be funded in part by a tax hike on the rich and corporate Canada. “We are making Canada’s tax system fairer by ensuring that the very wealthiest pay their fair share,” Freeland said after tabling her budget in Parliament. The significant increase in capital gains tax – from 50% to 66% for individuals earning over $250,000 on their gains – has potentially impacted approximately 40,000 homeowners who own secondary properties such as cottages or investment homes. While the decision to tax the affluent to benefit middle or low-income Canadians may appear popular, the assumption that homeowners of secondary houses represent the wealthiest echelons of society, possessing deep pockets, warrants scrutiny. Recent surveys conducted by Statistics Canada have unveiled an unexpected demographic among investment homeowners: the newcomer community that diligently saved and strived to secure their financial futures through property investment.
加拿大统计局对安大略省住宅房地产投资者的2021年疫情前调查显示，新移民是安大略省房地产投资的主力军。该调查还显示，2010年之前抵达的新移民也在 不列颠哥伦比亚省、马尼托巴省、新不伦瑞克省和新斯科舍省的其他四个省份的投资房产主中占过高比例。但是这些投资房产的拥有者并不一定拥有高收入。事实上，根据统计局的调查，这些新移民的平均年龄超过55岁，并且收入水平中等偏下，安省的新移民投资者的平均收入为仅为 $8万加元，低于出生于加国的投资者的平均收入的$10万加元。
StatsCan’s 2021 pre-pandemic profile of Ontario residential real estate investors shows that newcomers were the driving force behind real estate investment in Ontario. Newcomers who arrived before 2010 also made up an outsized portion of real estate investors in four other provinces profiled — British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. However, ownership of these properties does not necessarily equate to having high-paying incomes. In fact, newcomers in the StatsCan survey were older than 55 years old and had a modest income, with the average income being $80,000 among Ontario immigrant investors compared to $100,000 of their Canadian-born counterparts.
度假屋或投资性房产等二套房产通常被视为家庭财富的象征，或构成个人或家庭资产的重要组成部分。然而，对于在新移民国度缺乏财务安全感的人来说，投资房产确实是一个可行的选择。在就业市场上面临语言和文化障碍以及学历认可方面的挑战的移民社区为了实现与加国本土人士的收入平等而寻求新的财务保障途径， 从而对房地产市场的投资充满热情，看重其资产增值潜力，并将其视为融入加国主流经济的最佳选择。
Secondary properties, such as cottages or investment properties, are often regarded as symbols of family wealth and can constitute a significant portion of an individual or family’s assets. However, for newcomers grappling with financial insecurity in their adopted country, investment properties offer a tangible solution. Struggling to attain income parity with their Canadian counterparts due to language and cultural barriers in the job market, as well as challenges in credential recognition, newcomers seek alternative ways to ensure financial security. They eagerly embrace the investment property market, valuing its potential for asset growth and considering it a pathway to integration in their adopted country.
这些通过谨慎的财务策划获得了投资和第二房产的移民并不属于加国社会的超富阶层。他们之中的很多人精打细算，谨慎开销，从不挥霍无度或过度消费，而是把长期的财务增长和财富积累作为家庭规划的首位，并持续不断地将收入一大部分投资于能带来”利润丰厚”的房产，表现出了对财务稳定的将来的执着努力和不懈追求。这些移民投资者偏高的年事也是他们多年来精打细算和严格的财务管理的见证， 是推崇勤奋工作，勤俭持家，慎重理财的移民文化的高度体现。
These immigrant owners of secondary properties may not be part of the ultra-wealthy elite in society. Instead, they have acquired these properties through careful and strategic financial planning. Rather than engaging in extravagant spending or living beyond their means, they have prioritized long-term financial growth and the accumulation of wealth. Through diligent saving and investment, they have steadily accumulated additional assets over time. By allocating a significant portion of their income to investments and consistently contributing to seemingly ‘lucrative’ investment opportunities, they have demonstrated their dedication to financial stability. The fact that many of these immigrant investors are of advanced age speaks volumes about their years of prudent budgeting and disciplined financial management – a testament to the immigrant ethos that values hard work, perseverance, and responsible financial management.
远渡重洋来到加拿大定居的新移民们急需经济稳定和财务安全。毫无疑问，联邦政府的这项针对“富人”的提税措施会给这个移民社区造成意想不到的后果。它不仅给这个群体带来额外经济负担，而且是对他们节俭持家，谨慎消费的行为的否定， 无形中加剧了今天高升的通胀环境中的经济挑战。对于将第二套房产作为退休后路和财务保障的新移民来说，这项加税政策伤及他们的加国梦，给他们在移民家园能过上衣食无忧的日子的期望带来重创。
Newcomers frequently prioritize stability and security as they navigate life in a new country. However, the unexpected tax measure aimed at property investors has brought about unintended consequences to the demographic. Not only does it impose additional financial burdens, but it also undermines disciplined saving habits and prudent spending practices, exacerbating the challenges in today’s rising inflation economy. For newcomers who view secondary properties as a safety net and a means of planning for retirement, this tax measure has eroded their hopes for a prosperous future in Canada, delivering a severe blow to their financial aspirations in their adopted homeland.
来源: 大中网/096.ca 南茜(Nancy Jin)
