APEGGA membership - Should I keep it?

[Phanuthier]

So here's the thing - I just used up my first year EIT membership and a invoice came to renew for $140. I'm feeling like cheap now and I'm not sure if its worth renewing. I don't really have plans on ever working in Canada in my career, and for what I do, having a P.Eng. really isn't a requirement even if I move back to Canada (or so it appears). It would look good on a resume. I will have a P.E. for the USA cause I already took the test.

But ... it might be worth paying the fee's just in case ...

I'm an EE for anyone wondering, IC design stuff ... in lieu of such, any current members want to give me some advice whether I should keep my APEGGA status? (or whatever its called)

[BlackArcher101]

I wouldn't keep it.

[Orange]

I was going to say keep going just incase but it sounds like it's relatively easy to reinstate:
http://www.apegga.org/Members/Reinst...fessional.html

In general, individuals are automatically approved for reinstatement if their lapse in membership is less than two years or if they are licensed in good standing in another province.

[NuclearFart]

Isn't it tax deductible?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

Isn't it tax deductible?

oh yeah...but I doubt hes filing much in the way of a Canadian Tax Return.

[Phaneuf3]

At $140 annually, that's $11.67 a month... not exactly much for most people pulling in an engineer's salary.
If there's any chance of you coming back to Canada, I'd keep it. Plus as you said it looks good on the resume.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

Isn't it tax deductible?

^^

Yes, professional dues are a non-refundable tax deduction (line 212 on T1 general) if you pay them yourself.

If your employer pays them for you, I think they are considered a non-taxable employee benefit as your membership in the society benefits their business. They would be able to expense this cost before tax.

Phanuthier is in a special circumstance working and residing in the US. His need to file a Canadian tax return will depend on his status in Canada and the ties he has to the country. (Like Locke said). If he has close ties with Canada and spends more than half of his time here, they will want you to pay Canadian taxes on your worldly income and then give you a credit for the tax you paid on income earned in the US. There are a few tests that exist to argue who you pay based on your ties to either country.

Some of the financial planners, tax accountants and lawyers on this board would be able to explain this far better than I.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Orange

I was going to say keep going just incase but it sounds like it's relatively easy to reinstate:
http://www.apegga.org/Members/Reinst...fessional.html

Just do it every two years then.

[Beefcake]

It gets better once you're actually a P.Eng. I could be wrong, but I think the fees are around $280 for me. Fortunately, my employer pays the dues.

NOt quite the same thing, but I just got a letter in the mail saying that if I don't provide them with a record of my "Professional Development Hours" from the past 3 years, then I'm going to be struck from the registry. So, I'm going non practicing (I'm an EE working in a financial institution, doing no real engineering work).

[CaptainCrunch]

How are their keggers?

[REDVAN]

Get your company to pay for it???

I'm a G.I.T. and I put it on my resumes.

[Bill Bumface]

I'm a consultant right now and wondering the same thing. I don't even do engineering work anymore. I wrote the ethics test for my P Eng but still haven't bothered with the professional resume. I'm hoping if I get designated I'd get a rate increase, but with things the way they are that isn't happening.

Do I still get a good deal on car insurance even if I'm not a member anymore?

[calf]

$140? That's freaking cheap compared to what I (erm, my company) pays for professional dues.

I'm not an engineer, but if it offers no value, and you have an equivilent designation, and can reapply later (who knows what you'll be feeling in 2 years), I'd say don't bother.