侨达律师事务所 / BridgePoint Law — Performed by Ningjing (Natalie) Zhang, JD, member and coach of the Law Society of Ontario. Cross-border asset management for clients with assets, businesses, or family in both Canada and China. Ontario-side legal services delivered by BridgePoint Law; China-side legal work coordinated with our Shanghai cooperating PRC law firm. Bilingual English / 中文 service. Offices in Kingston, Toronto, and Shanghai.
Practice scope: BridgePoint Law (侨达律师事务所) is an Ontario law firm. Our practice is Canadian (Ontario) immigration, refugee, litigation, real estate, wills & estates, and corporate law. We do NOT provide PRC (Chinese) legal advice directly — for matters governed by Chinese law (民法典, civil law, asset registration in China), we coordinate with our Shanghai cooperating PRC law firm. We also do NOT provide financial or investment advisory services — for those, please retain a licensed financial advisor.
What Is Cross-Border Asset Management?
For families and individuals with assets in both Canada and China, “cross-border asset management” describes the legal structures and coordination needed to:
- Hold, transfer, gift, or inherit assets across two legal systems (common-law Canada and civil-law China under 《民法典》)
- Navigate Canadian tax implications when Chinese assets are brought into the Canadian system
- Set up Powers of Attorney that work in both jurisdictions
- Establish trust structures or holding companies that legitimately span both countries
- Plan for currency-control implications (China’s foreign exchange controls under 国家外汇管理局 regulations)
- Coordinate real estate transactions where the buyer or seller is in the other jurisdiction
- Avoid double-taxation through proper treaty planning under the Canada-China Tax Treaty (1986, with amendments)
Common Cross-Border Asset Scenarios We Handle
1. Newcomer Bringing Chinese Assets to Canada
You have arrived in Canada (or are about to) as an investor, business immigrant, or skilled worker. You have meaningful assets in China: real estate, deposits, business equity, or investment accounts. Decisions to make:
- Should the assets be transferred now, on PR landing, or after citizenship — affects tax basis
- What is the Canadian tax cost-base for assets you owned before becoming Canadian tax resident
- How do China’s foreign exchange controls affect remittance timing and structure
- Should real property be held personally, through a corporation, or through a trust
- Coordination with Canadian accountant for tax planning and CRA reporting (T1135 foreign asset reporting)
2. Canadian Asset Held for Chinese Resident Family
Canadian residents (often the immigrant child) hold real estate, accounts, or shares for the benefit of family members still in China. Issues to address:
- Legal characterization: holding as agent, beneficiary, or constructive trustee
- Disclosure obligations to CRA when the Canadian resident is not the true owner
- Future repatriation planning if Chinese family wishes to recover the asset
- Estate planning where the legal owner (Canadian resident) predeceases the beneficial owner (Chinese resident)
3. Business Owner with Operations in Both Countries
You operate businesses in both Canada and China — manufacturing in China, sales arm in Canada, or vice versa. Cross-border legal coordination:
- Inter-company agreements compliant with both PRC and Canadian transfer pricing rules
- Repatriation of profits structure (dividend vs. royalty vs. licensing)
- Shareholding structure between Canadian and Chinese entities
- Director and officer cross-appointments and fiduciary duties
- Coordination with PRC counsel on PRC company registration, licensing, and reporting
4. Cross-Border Real Estate
You are buying Canadian real estate while a non-resident of Canada, or selling Canadian real estate while a Chinese resident. Issues we handle on the Ontario side:
- Acknowledgement & Direction, Powers of Attorney for absent buyers/sellers
- Section 116 certificate (non-resident vendor) coordination with accountant
- Land Transfer Tax planning including the Non-Resident Speculation Tax for residential
- Mortgage closing where the borrower is overseas
- Closing coordination across time zones
What We Do on the Ontario Side
- Legal opinions and structuring memoranda on cross-border asset positions
- Powers of Attorney — General, Specific, or Continuing Power of Attorney for Property — drafted for cross-border use, notarized for foreign authentication, Hague Apostille processing for use in China
- Real estate transactions — purchase, sale, refinance, with cross-border closing coordination
- Trust documentation — bare trust agreements, family trusts, holding company structures
- Wills coordination — drafting Ontario wills that complement Chinese inheritance (see our Cross-Border Estate Management page)
- Federal Court review — when CRA, IRCC, or other Canadian authorities deny your structured position (see our Federal Court Hub)
What Our Shanghai Cooperating Firm Handles
Through our Shanghai office (侨达律师事务所 上海代表) we coordinate with a PRC-licensed law firm on:
- PRC asset registration, transfer, and disposition under Chinese civil law (《民法典》)
- Chinese property registration (不动产登记) and title issues
- State Administration of Foreign Exchange (国家外汇管理局, SAFE) approvals and remittance
- PRC corporate structuring, share transfers, dissolution
- Notarization (公证) of Chinese-side documents for use in Canada
- Coordination on inheritance under 《民法典》Book Six (继承编)
侨达律师事务所 — 跨境资产管理服务（中文）
侨达律师事务所（BridgePoint Law）是一家位于安大略省的双语跨境律师事务所，金斯顿总部、多伦多市中心、上海三地办公。由 Natalie 律师（张宁静）亲自办理。
跨境资产管理的本质：在加拿大和中国两地都有资产、家人或业务的客户，需要法律结构和跨境协调来：
- 合法地持有、转移、赠与或继承跨越两个法律体系的资产
- 合理规划加拿大税务影响（特别是新移民登陆前/后的资产处理）
- 设立在两地都有效的 Power of Attorney 授权委托书
- 建立横跨两国的合法信托结构或持股公司
- 规划中国外汇管制（国家外汇管理局规定）下的资金合规出入境
- 避免重复征税（依据《中加税收协定》1986 及修订）
常见情况：
1. 新移民将中国资产带入加拿大：您（或即将）作为投资移民、商业移民或技术移民登陆加拿大。中国有房产、存款、股权、投资账户。需决定：转移时机（PR 登陆前/后/入籍后影响税基）、加拿大税务成本基础（cost base）、中国外汇管制下的汇出节奏、持有结构（个人/公司/信托）、与会计师协调 T1135 海外资产申报。
2. 加拿大资产代中国家人持有：以加拿大居民身份持有房产、账户、股权但实际受益人是国内家人。需处理：法律定性（代理人/受益人/被推定信托人）、向 CRA 的披露义务、未来回流路径、加拿大居民先去世的遗产规划。
3. 中加两地企业主：在两国都有经营（如中国制造 + 加拿大销售）。需协调：合规于两国转让定价规则的关联交易协议、利润回流结构（分红 vs. 特许权使用费 vs. 许可费）、股权架构、董事高管交叉任职及信义义务、与上海所协调 PRC 公司注册和报告。
4. 跨境地产：非加拿大居民购买加拿大地产，或中国居民出售加拿大地产。安省侧办理：Acknowledgement & Direction、Power of Attorney（用于异地买卖方）、Section 116（非居民卖方）证书协调、土地转让税及非居民投机税（NRST）规划、跨境贷款结案、跨时区结案协调。
安省侧服务（侨达直接提供）：法律意见书 + 跨境结构备忘录、跨境用 Power of Attorney 起草并公证 + 海牙认证、跨境地产交易、信托文件（bare trust、家庭信托、持股公司）、安省遗嘱起草协调、CRA/IRCC 拒批的联邦法院司法复审。
上海合作 PRC 律师事务所：通过侨达上海办，与本地 PRC 持牌律师事务所合作处理 PRC 法项下事务 — 资产登记 / 转让 / 处分（《民法典》）、不动产登记、外汇管理局审批和汇出、PRC 公司结构、股权转让、注销、PRC 文件公证（用于加拿大）、《民法典》第六编（继承编）项下继承协调。
Fees & Process
| Matter Type | Initial Retainer | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-border legal opinion / structuring memorandum | $6,000–$11,000 | $450 |
| Power of Attorney drafting + Hague Apostille | $2,500–$6,000 | $450 |
| Cross-border real estate transaction | $3,500–$9,000 + disbursements | $450 |
| Trust documentation (bare trust, family trust) | $6,000–$16,000 | $450 |
| Cross-border business structuring + Shanghai coordination | $11,000–$31,000 | $450 |
All fees plus 13% HST. PRC counsel fees on the Shanghai side are additional and billed separately by the cooperating Shanghai firm. Government fees (Land Transfer Tax, Apostille processing fees, registration fees) are pass-through.
FAQ
Do you provide Chinese (PRC) legal advice?
No — we are licensed in Ontario only. For matters governed by Chinese law (asset registration in China under 《民法典》, PRC corporate registration with State Administration for Market Regulation, foreign exchange approvals from SAFE, Chinese inheritance under 《民法典》Book Six), we coordinate with our Shanghai cooperating PRC law firm. Their advice is provided to you separately under PRC counsel relationship.
Do you provide financial or investment advice?
No — we are not licensed financial advisors. We provide legal advice on asset structure and ownership. For investment decisions, please retain a licensed financial advisor or investment counsel registered with the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC).
Can you help me transfer money out of China to fund a Canadian purchase?
The transfer itself must be done through Chinese banks under SAFE rules — we cannot move money for you. We can advise on the legal characterization of the funds once they arrive in Canada (gift, loan, business proceeds, etc.) and ensure the receiving structure on the Canadian side is appropriate. SAFE compliance and Chinese-side documentation are handled by our Shanghai cooperating firm.
I am planning to immigrate to Canada — when should I dispose of my Chinese real estate to optimize tax?
This is a fact-specific question involving Canadian tax cost-base rules (deemed acquisition upon becoming resident) and Chinese-side capital gains. Initial consultation $450 + HST covers the framework. Detailed planning requires coordination with both your Canadian accountant and our Shanghai cooperating PRC counsel.
What is the Canada-China Tax Treaty and how does it affect me?
The 1986 treaty (with amendments) prevents double-taxation by allocating taxing rights between Canada and China for specific income types. It does not eliminate all tax — it determines which country has primary right. Cross-border asset structuring should respect treaty positions. We work with Canadian tax counsel and accountants on treaty-driven planning.
Shanghai Office (上海办公室)
侨达律师事务所 上海办公室
Address: 1016 Youyi Road, Suite 503, Canyang International Creative & Research Hub, Shanghai, China 201999
地址：中国上海市友谊路1016号灿阳国际创意研发园503室 邮编 201999
Cooperation model: BridgePoint Law’s Shanghai office cooperates with a PRC-licensed law firm for China-side legal services. Ontario legal advice delivered by BridgePoint Law; PRC legal advice delivered separately by the cooperating Shanghai firm under PRC counsel relationship.
合作模式：侨达上海办公室与持牌中国律师事务所合作。安省法律建议由侨达律师事务所提供；中国法律建议由上海合作所以中国律师身份单独提供。
This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Cross-border asset matters are highly fact-specific and depend on both Canadian and Chinese law, tax treaties, and individual circumstances. Fees current as of May 2026.