Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly left Canada to move to Los Angeles amid the coronavirus outbreak. As this is believed to defy the Government's measures to fight the pandemic, there are claims that the decision was made so that they wouldn't pay tax in two countries.
According to The Sun, the Sussexes decided to move to Los Angeles to save money. As the former actress remains to be a U.S. citizen, she has to pay tax both in the U.S. and Canada if she earns income while living in the Great White North.
A source said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle initially planned to reside in a Commonwealth country, like Canada, so that they could still perform royal duties while earning their own money at the same time. However, they were said to be told that they might have a hard time getting work visas in Canada.
Also, as the Duchess of Sussex is still a U.S. citizen, she would be taxed on her worldwide income and end up paying both in the U.S. and Canada. Their plan seemed to fail.
The Canadian government also earlier revealed that it wouldn't pay for their security costs, so Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would have to shell out a huge amount of money. So, the only chance they have to save up is if they would move to the U.S. and only pay their tax there.
Express reported that the royal couple's self-employed income, either from social media or merchandise sales, needs to be reported. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service also has to be informed of any foreign bank accounts they have.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left Canda to fly to the latter's hometown in the U.S. before the borders completely shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. As the borders were closing and flights were stopping, a source said they felt like they had to get out now.
However, this move was said to be planned for some time after they realized Canada would not work out for them for various reasons. Hence, they wanted to be based in the Los Angeles area instead.
In Los Angeles, they would have a big support network, as their new team of Hollywood agents, PRs, and business managers were located there. Meghan Markle has a lot of friends in the said estate, and her mother, Doria Ragland, also resides there.
But, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to move to Los Angeles amid the coronavirus outbreak seems to defy the Government's advice against moving houses. "Homebuyers and renters should, where possible, delay moving to a new house while measures are in place to fight coronavirus (COVID-19)," it said. With the current pandemic, it asked everyone to follow the rules of social distancing and staying at home.
