https://loanscanada.ca/taxes/day-trading-taxes-in-canada/#:~:text=The%20CRA%20identifies%20day%20traders,and%20experience%20with%20securities%20markets.
Day Trading As A Business
The income you earn from day trading can be considered as business income by the CRA. The CRA identifies day traders as a business when there’s a high amount of buying and selling and the time in between buying and selling a particular stock will be relatively short.
Another indicator for those who are investing as a business is their knowledge and experience with securities markets. If you’re considered a business, you’ll need to report your income and capital gains as a business.
It is important to note that every time a security is bought or sold, a T5008 slip is created and attached to your social insurance number and name, which permits the CRA to match it with your tax return.
Overall, if you buy and sell investments daily like a securities dealer, and your goal is to use small price fluctuations to make short-term profits, the income should be reported as a business.
Day Trading As A Novice
You do not have to be an expert to be a day trade in Canada. A normal, Canadian investor will have a significantly smaller turnover rate (the time between buying and selling a given stock). Most novice day traders use tax-free savings accounts like an RRSP or TFSA. This type of investor normally has another job and doesn’t day trade full-time as a professional.
Tax Rules On Day Trading In A TFSA
First things first, the CRA prevents any business activity from occurring within a TFSA, so if you are a full-time, professional day trader, all of your capital gains will be considered business income, not investment income, and must be taxed.
It is still possible, as a novice investor, to day trade within your TFSA, but you must use extreme caution. If the CRA notices too much trading activity within your TFSA, it will possibly be flagged and you will be taxed on all capital gains. Investment income in a TFSA is tax-exempt.
Tax Rules On Day Trading In A RRSP
Investment income within an RRSP is tax-deferred, whereas TFSAs are completely exempt. Similar to trading in your TFSA, RRSPs are meant for personal investing, not generating business income, and the CRA will flag you if your trading activity is very active.