u.s. citizen considering life in montreal, tax concerns

[ihnfinity inc]

i am a u.s. citizen, fond of montreal life & culture, considering living there for a time, trial basis. i would not immediately seek work in canada. my income is primarily u.s. based investments & dividends, in trusts. ideally speaking, my life would include (at least) all of the following:

-while living in montreal i would continue to operate a small specialty record label i own (u.s. based corp) that generates little to no income, in real world terms more of a hobby-level activity.
-i would not immediately seek to own property in canada, instead a sublet or rental property.
- i would bring to canada a considerable amount of personal property, including a sizable & valuable l/p record library, artwork, etc.

over the years i've seen friends living outside of their country of citizenship suffer disastrous losses & consequences from doing so, usually (but not always) by not taking an above-board approach from the outset. what do i need to know, absolutely & basically, to avoid a similar outcome for myself were i to live in montreal for awhile? should i be concerned about bringing personal property in & out of canada from the u.s. (the classic inquiry at the border: "are you bringing anything with you that will remain in canada?")? given that my income will remain u.s. sourced, what kind of tax scenarios should i prepare for as a "resident" of canada? can i at least open a canadian bank account w/o a "permanent" canadian address? how problematic to bring record label inventory, a business estabilshed in u.s., in & out of canada?

any input appreciated.

[nelsona]

You can't simply 'move' to canada without immigrating. It is possible to self-sponsor your process if you score enough points. Go to the CIC website.