Tips

If you work in the United States and Live in Canada you have a more complex tax situation where you are beholden to two tax departments and have to Employ the US Canadian Tax Treaty to help control and manage your taxes

Having the right partner to help you navigate your taxes and ensure you are compliant with your filings and to help you deal with audits and inquiries is essential and we can help

Your taxes might change based on where you work (working from home in Canada, what tax slips your employer provides you (W2 /T4 or both and what your status is in the United States (Visa holder or US person or citizen Your tax preparer needs to understand all of these factors to keep you compliant. Its important to fill out our client questionnaire for this reason
Cross border workers are frequently audited in Canada so make sure you keep good records and share any audit letters with your tax advisor so they can help you respond properly.

Tax Tips For Cross Border Workers

Your W2 slip must be mailed to you by NLT 30 January but is usually available in mid January in your online dashboard at work. Its best to get that to us early as possible so we can do your returns early this not only gives you plenty of time to file but allows you time to do some RRSP planning before the 1 March deadline to reduce or eliminate Canadian tax
Understand that a 401K or a 403b plan from your US employer will help you with your taxes both in the US and in Canada (subject to you having RRSP room to use that deduction) but tax planning can help you refine the use of both your US and Canadian tax shelters to best control you taxes
When you file its very important to keep a copy of any and all cheques you write for balances on your US returns or any refund cheques you get this can help with an audit/inquiry letters that you might receive in Canada so put a copy of those cheques in your file
When mailing your returns out its best to mail out via the United States Post office with tracking take that tracking receipt and keep it in your tax file to prove you filed on time
Filing on time by the 15 April deadline is essential especially for those on a visa for whom a late filed return can lead to a revocation of your visa with the US government
If you get anything from the IRS or CRA make sure you share it with your tax preparer so they can assist you in dealing with it
Best Tip of All... Let us help you get filed and take a proactive approach to your taxes and get you filed on time and fully compliant and assist you with some tax planning to control your taxes and manage things actively