Low-tax jurisdictions: La Caisse aims to avoid the double taxation of Québecers

Following the publication of a report by the Journal de Montréal this morning, la Caisse reaffirms its commitment to protect and invest Québecers’ funds while adhering to the spirit and letter of all applicable tax laws.

First, as a public pension fund, it should be noted that la Caisse pays no tax in Québec and Canada. La Caisse’s investment returns are taxed when retirees receive their pension benefits. As such, the tax framework applicable to la Caisse is similar to that of registered retirement savings plans (RRSP), under which contributions and investment returns are tax-exempt, but withdrawals are taxable.

Because retirees are taxed when their pension benefits are paid, any taxation of la Caisse’s investment returns represents a form of double taxation of retirees’ savings, which reduces the amount of their benefits. Indeed, in such cases, retirement savings are taxed once at la Caisse’s level, and a second time when pension benefits are paid. This double taxation is unfair for Québec retirees. For this reason, la Caisse seeks to limit double taxation as much as possible.  

Second, in most cases, la Caisse gains no fiscal benefit from the use of low-tax jurisdictions, because its investments would already be tax-exempt. In such cases, these jurisdictions are chosen for legitimate business reasons such as (1) a legal framework that allows for the simple and efficient pooling of capital, (2) access to expert managers, and (3) lower management fees resulting from the pooling of capital from investors all over the world. 

Finally, la Caisse is not insensitive to the improper use of low-tax jurisdictions. La Caisse supports the spirit and letter of ongoing international initiatives, including the OECD’s BEPS project, which seeks to eliminate improper use of low-tax jurisdictions. La Caisse also works with its international partners to structure investments in jurisdictions in which la Caisse benefits from tax exemption agreements.