After moving to Canada from the UK in 2010, I continued trading Forex but in a different setting—different brokers, regulators, and time zones. Trading requires hard work, persistence, discipline, and knowledge, but having the right surroundings is crucial to success. I discovered a vibrant and well-regulated trading environment in Canada that helped me continue to succeed and, I believe, helps traders at all levels find their success.
Let’s delve into Forex trading in Canada and cover brokers, regulators, and tax implications.
Top Forex Brokers
Is Forex Trading Legal in Canada?
Forex trading is legal in Canada. Regulations since the 1990s have allowed Canadians to trade retail Forex and other markets, including futures, Contracts for Difference (CFDs), options, commodities, metals, global equities, indices, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) - the list goes on. There’s never been a better time to be a trader in Canada.
How Available Is Forex Trading in Canada?
Any Canadian resident can open a Forex account with a broker, with no income or employment requirements. Every broker requires basic customer information as part of regulator compliance, such as recent proof of address, government ID (e.g., driver’s license), and banking details.
Every Forex pair imaginable is available to Canadians. The best Forex brokers in Canada offer the full range of Forex pairs, from the Majors (EURUSD, USDJPY, GBPUSD, USDCHF, AUDUSD, USDCAD, and NZDUSD) to cross pairs (e.g., GBGJPY, AUDNZD) and many exotics such as the Turkish Lira and Thai Baht.
Many Canadian brokers have low minimum account sizes, so new traders can open Forex accounts with a small amount of money, e.g., $100, to experiment with the markets without risking much capital. Lot sizes start as small as nano-lots (100 units of the base currency) up to standard lots (100,000 units of the base currency).
Canadian regulators allow CFD trading. Contracts for Differences, or CFDs, are leveraged derivatives offering access to nearly any imaginable market in the world: spot Forex, metals, commodities, global equities, indices such as the S&P 500, and many others. CFDs provide the advantage of leveraged trading and make it easy to take long or short positions.
Broker and Platform Options
Canadian traders can choose between non-Dealing-Desk brokers (e.g., ECN accounts) with direct access to liquidity providers or Market Maker-style accounts that execute trades internally. Both have pros and cons, and traders can choose the account type which suits their needs.
Every Forex broker I’ve encountered for Canadians offers MetaTrader, and many other brokers provide third-party or in-house platforms. If you have a preference, you will likely find a broker with a platform you want. In addition, Canada's wide choice of brokers has created a competitive environment with low spreads, commissions, and fast execution. They can cater to any trading style, from day trading to long-term positions.
Regulators let Canadians use non-Canadian registered brokers. For example, some Canadians use New Zealand-based brokers because they offer higher leverage. I recommend sticking to brokers in well-regulated jurisdictions, such as Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK.
The Canadian Trading Community
When I think about the availability of Forex to Canadians, I also think about the available community around me. Canada has a large Forex and technical analysis community, with regular meetups in the major cities (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, etc.). Being around other traders for support and learning has improved my trading. When I began focussing on Volume Profile (a trading method), I was astonished to find one of the world’s best Volume Profile traders lived only an hour’s drive away from me in Toronto.
Regulation and Licensing of Forex Brokers in Canada
The primary regulator for Forex brokers is the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). CIRO-regulated Forex brokers are also members of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), which provides some protection to clients if a Forex broker becomes insolvent.
CIRO regulates members through:
- Creating industry standards and monitoring brokers, such as ensuring trade execution that reflects actual market conditions (particularly vital for over-the-counter markets such as Forex and CFDs that operate without a centralized exchange).
- Ensure brokers have adequate capitalization to conduct business.
- Confirm brokers have proper risk management, account handling, know-your-customer, and anti-money laundering procedures.
- Investigate potential misconduct by market participants and exercise disciplinary proceedings.
Forex Trading Tax Implications in Canada
Canadian traders must declare trading profits on their tax returns. Here are five things to know about Forex trading taxes in Canada:
- The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can tax profits as Capital Gains or Income, depending on the level of trading activity. The CRA applies capital gains tax when it views the person’s trading as a non-business activity. However, if the CRA views the person’s trading activity as a business activity, it applies income tax.
- The CRA uses four criteria to evaluate whether a person’s trading activity is a business activity: 1. Number of trades; 2. How long trades have been held; 3. How much time they have spent trading, and 4. How much money they have made. The higher someone scores in each category, the more likely the CRA will categorize their trading as a business activity.
- Capital Gains Tax is 50% of the person’s marginal Income Tax rate (both Federal and Provincial tax rates)—meaning most people will benefit from paying Capital Gains Tax rather than Income Tax.
- Income Tax allows deductible expenses, such as platform fees, software, trading courses, and even a portion of rent or mortgage interest when using a workspace or office area. Capital Gains Tax does not allow deductible expenses.
- Those who consistently make six figures in their trading may benefit from setting up a corporation, as corporation tax can be less than Capital Gains or Income Tax.
Forex Trading Restrictions and Limits in Canada
The most significant restriction for Canadian-regulated brokers is that CIRO restricts leverage for retail clients. At the time of writing, the maximum leverage can vary from 33:1 for majors such as the EURUSD and 10:1 for exotics such as the Singapore Dollar.
The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) periodically reviews maximum leverage limits, so check with your broker.
Bottom Line
Canadians can trade Forex using both Canadian-regulated brokers and overseas brokers. Canada has one of the best regulatory environments in the world, ensuring fair trading execution and the safety of client funds. A wide choice of Canadian-regulated brokers offers access to global markets, CFDs, and low trading costs. Canadians must pay tax on their trading profits, either Capital Gains Tax or Income Tax for more active traders. The most significant restriction for Canadian-regulated brokers is that regulators restrict the maximum leverage.
