US Canada tax preparation for 2009 with TN Visas in year of move

Hello Mr. Ingram,
My husband and I are interested in your tax preparation services, and we are wondering (a) what would be the approximate cost and (b) how much time would you require for preparing the returns (i.e. how far in advance of the tax deadline would you need the relevant paperwork)?
We are Canadians who moved to the US this year on TN visas. My husband works for a company in the US whereas I continue to work for my Canadian company from home in the US (I'm still being paid in Cdn dollars into my Cdn bank account, with Cdn/Ontario taxes withheld). We also recently bought a house here in the US with a US mortgage, so that would probably add to the complexity of the returns. We live in Connecticut, so there are state taxes as well.

david ingram replies;

I presume that you  made the move in 2009 and are talking about next April's tax filing deadline.

In the year of a move, the usual bill would be $1,200 and up. 

Your continuing employments in Canada complicates it and I expect that $1,500 would be more likely
We would like the paperwork as soon as possible in the next year.  Your Canadian return is due on April 30th but the US return can be delayed to Oct 15, 2010 by filing a form 4868.

These older questions and answers will likely assist you - they cover a lot of different situations.


I am trying to figure out what to do for my 2008 Canadian taxes. 
My husband and I are Canadian citizens living in the US since November 2007. We own a home in the US, have US driver's licenses, US healthcare, and have paid
taxes as a resident (1040) as we have been here for over 183 days in the 2008 tax year.

I'm confused as to what I have to do for Canadian 2008
. We own a home in Canada (no one lives there, we simply pay for the mortgage) and have sold it effective June 2009. My US income has never left the US. I have never bothered to cancel AB healthcare as it was free this year (but my son does not have it) but I believe it is not longer valid as I have not resided in Canada this past year.   I received the 100/month child tax benefits and was on EI Mat leave for 6 mos of the 2008 year but can cancel and pay back the money for child tax benefits if required. I realize I have to file Canadian income tax for 2008 (EI-mat leave and child tax benefits) for myself. My US earned income has never left the US, so I am not sure what I have to use as an exchange rate or if I even need to include it since I haven't lived in Canada? My husband's US income has never left the US either.

Is it mandatory to include my US income under the TN-1 visa job?

I have a US tax bill and now if I do include it, it appears the Canadian gov't wants another 15% on top of what I've already paid in the US.

I'm hoping I'm missing something and just have to declare my CAD income, but don't want to do anything illegal.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!  I am willing to pay for a consultation fee in order to clear up this confusion as well.
Thank you!
david ingram replies:

You are taxable on your mat leave and should not have received the child tax benefit.  When you left Canada, you and your husband should have reported a departing date on page one of the T1 return and filed form T1161 and maybe T1243 and T1244 as well.  This would have listed your house and any investments for the purpose of the departure.

If the house has just been sold, you will have to file Forms T32062 and T2062A and T2091 for the sale.  Failure to file the T1161 has already garnered a penalty of $2,500 plus interest each if the CRA wants to enforce it.

Failure to file the T2062 within ten days of your sale in June will also engender a $25 a day fine (min $100) to a maximum of $2,500 for being 100 or more days late.

By keeping your AB Medical and the empty house and collecting the Child Tax Benefit, you have done some of the things that give the Canadian Government the right to tax you.

Pay back the Child Tax Benefit as soon as possible.  File 'your' Canadian tax return and report the US income on the return. (Fill in schedule A and Schedule B to report your world income).  Exempt the US earned income on line 256 of the return under Article IV of the US Canada Income Tax  Treaty.

You also had to report the Maternity leave on your US 1040.

This older question will likely help.



I started working in the states last April for about 8 months with a TN visa. I was wondering if I have to pay taxes on income earned in the states to Canada as well?

david ingram replies:

You should file a departing Canada Income tax return with form T1161 and maybe a 1243 and 1244 if you have left any assets behind.

These older questions will help a bit

xxxxx wrote:
i am a single Canadian working full-time in Texas  for a us employer
i have been in the us since Jan 2, 2007 on a tn visa.
i currently have a W2 and also have slips for rsp contributions
from Canada for 2007.

what would be the cost for filing my tax returns to both countries?
also do you recommend contributing to IRA ROTH's instead of RRSP's
when i am working in the us?

thank you
david ingram replies:

As described, you have no tax to pay to Canada and should not have bought an RRSP for 2007.

Basically, you should be filing a departing Canada return and look at T1161 to see if it is necessary to file it -  Usually, you would file it is you own a summer cottage, home, non-RRSP mutual fund or brokerage account or are leaving a share of a family business or farm behind.

For the US, you would file a US1040.  there is no tax return in Texas, Nevada, Alaska, Florida for you to file.

If your intention is to come back to Canada, you should likely NOT buy a ROTH.  If you want a tax deduction buy a conventional IRA or participate larger in a company 401(K)

We charge $900 to $3000 for US Canada tax returns

There is a more detailed list further down below.

I am Canadian citizen and have been working in USA on TN-Visa since 2004. I have a valid Canadian driver license, no medical card, working bank account and has no property. All my family is staying with me in USA.

1) Am I suppose to file a Canadian taxes every year.

2) If I do, what would be the roughly tax break up like 20% paying in Canada and 80% in USA.

3) What would be your fee to file Canadian and USA taxes.

Thanks & regards.

david ingram replies:

You should have filed a departing Canada return in 2004.  there is no need to file a 2005, 2006, or 2007 return as you have described your situation.

If, on the other hand, the Canadian government asks you for a return for any of those years, you, as a Canadian citizen, are required to file.  Report all of your US income on the T1 and then deduct it all on line 256 of the return under Article IV of the US - Canada Income Tax Convention (treaty).

This older question and answer may help

I moved to Nevada for a job July 2006, and still work there now.  Do I do my
taxes in Canada and us separately? My earnings for 2006 in Canada were very
david ingram replies:

You have more than one choice.

1.   a) You file a departing Canada tax return including form T1161 and 1243 and 1244 if you left more than $25,000 worth of assets behind.
You file a 1040NR Dual Status Statement for the US and then a 1040 Dual Status Return to report the US income only.  The statement is there to separate out any US income you may have received BEFORE you actually went to the US. You can NOT claim the standard deduction on a Dual Status Return You can only use itemized deductions on a Dual Status Return. 

2.   a)   You file Canada as in 1a) above.

       b)   You file a 1040 tax return reporting your world income for the year including the Canadian income.  Then you file US form 1116 to claim a foreign tax credit for the tax, CPP and EI you paid to Canada.  This allows you to claim the standard deduction on the US return.

Good luck.  Remember that you can always send the returns here by fax, courier snail mail or pdf email.


Dear experts:
I am currently holding a TN visa working for a US employer. I have my family ties to Canada but I reside in the States for more than 183 days/year. Should I file as US resident or Canadian resident for the Tax purpose? In each case, what kind of tax forms or schedules I have to look at?
david ingram replies

If you are applying for an H1B visa and intend to get a green card and your family is not moving unitl the resident alien cards come through, you should be filing as a US resident and not paying tax in Canada.  If you have a house, it should be put in your wife's name only.  You would file a US joint return with your wife and claim your children as dependents.

If you are not intending to stay in the US and are still spending a lot of time in Canada, you would file as a Canadian resident and claim a foreign tax credit for the taxes, FICA and Medicare taxes you pay to the US after filing your US 1040.

There is an in between position where you might be a factual resident of Canada where you report your US income to Canada but deduct it then on line 256 under Article IV of the US Canada Income Tax Convention. In this case you would be a tax resident of the US and file a joint US return with your wife.

You need to sit down in person or by phone with someone who really understands it.

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