U.S. ITIN Requirements for PTPs

Most Canadians holding U.S. PTPs will not qualify to apply for an ITIN in advance and must wait until they receive a 1042-S and attach the ITIN application to the U.S. 1040NR tax return.

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Moving An IRA or 401(k) to Canada

If you have lived or worked in the U.S., you may have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or 401k plan. Leaving these accounts in the U.S. can be administratively challenging and you may wish to consider moving them to Canada. In certain circumstances, a person with a 401k or IRA may be able to rollover their U.S. retirement account to a Canadian…

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IRS Simplifies Reporting for RRSP’s & RRIF’s

On October 7, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that is was making the reporting rules for Canadian registered retirement savings plans, RRSP’s and RRIF’s much easier. Background The United States tax code does not recognize the tax-deferred status of Canadian registered retirement plans and requires that the income be reported on a tax return annually. However, the tax treaty…

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Q4 2014 Tax Tips & Traps Newsletter

The 2014 4rd quarter edition of tax Tips and Traps is out! In this edition: Tax ticklers – Quick points to consider Small Business Job Credit CRA Liaison Office Initiative Principal Residence – Partial conversion to an office Tax Payments – Online Collections Options – When you owe the CRA and can’t pay Estate Planning – Digital assets Registered Charities…

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U.S. Citizens – Tax Filing Obligations

Many American citizens and other “U.S. persons” in Canada are unaware and even surprised to find they have to file income tax returns, report their bank accounts and make other disclosures to the IRS in addition to the Canadian filings. The United States requires that all citizens file a U.S. income tax return and report worldwide income. The net broadens…

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Exemption for Children & SSN Requirements

Over the last several months we have seen a number of U.S. Citizens in Canada receive a letter from the IRS asking for the social security number of their children in order to claim the exemption for children. In more than a few cases, the taxpayer did not obtain social security numbers for the children or the child does not…

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