Book a callCross-border tax accountants for the US and Canada.
One team coordinates your US and Canadian returns, applying available foreign tax credits and treaty relief to reduce double taxation. Nine US offices, serving every state and province.
American living in Canada
US citizens report worldwide income, so a 1040 can fall due alongside your T1 whenever a filing threshold or other rule applies, plus account reporting and the credits that reduce the double charge.
Start hereCanadian living in the US
Residency ties, departure tax, RRSPs held from abroad, and whether the CRA still counts you as resident.
Start hereMoving across the border
The year you move is the year that costs the most. Plan the exit and the arrival before you go, not after.
Start hereSnowbirds and property owners
Days counted, closer connection filings, rental income on a place across the border, and the tax on selling it.
Start hereYears behind on filing
Most people reach us late and expecting the worst. There are catch-up routes that can reduce penalties, but eligibility depends on residency and conduct and has to be assessed first.
Start hereBusiness and contractors
Hiring or selling across the border, permanent establishment risk, payroll in two systems, sales tax and GST.
Start hereDo you have to file in both countries?
Three questions, no email address, no sign up. It flags the topics your situation raises. It does not decide which returns are due, because that needs more information than three questions can carry.
What is your status in the US?
About twenty seconds. Nothing you tap here is stored, sent or tied to you.
The dates that matter, both sides
Two tax years, two sets of deadlines, and they do not line up. These are the ones people miss.
What we prepare
If you already know the form number, it is on this list. If you do not, that is exactly what the call is for.
Personal returns
- 1040 and 1040NR US returns
- T1 Canadian federal returns. Quebec residents also file a separate TP-1 provincial return
- Foreign tax credits and treaty relief
- 8833 treaty based positions
- Departure and arrival year planning
- ITIN and individual number applications
Reporting and disclosure
- FinCEN 114 foreign bank reporting
- 8938 specified foreign assets
- 3520 / 3520-A for foreign trusts where required
- 8621 passive foreign investment funds
- T1135 foreign income verification, generally where specified foreign property cost exceeds CAD100,000 in aggregate, with exceptions
- Streamlined and voluntary disclosure
Business and estates
- 5471 and T1134 foreign corporations
- Permanent establishment reviews
- Cross-border payroll and contractors
- Sales tax nexus, GST and HST
- Expatriation and exit tax
- Cross-border estates and gifts
How working with us goes
Three stages, one point of contact, and a fixed quote agreed before anything begins.
A call, and a straight answer
Twenty minutes with an advisor who does this every day. You leave with an initial assessment of your likely obligations, the next steps and what the work will cost.
Documents, once
One encrypted upload covering both countries. We chase the missing pieces, so you are not managing two firms.
Filed, and planned forward
Both returns filed and reviewed together, plus a note on what to change before next year.
Roughly what it costs
Every situation differs, so these are ranges rather than prices, quoted in US dollars and exclusive of any applicable sales tax, GST or HST. Representation in an audit or enquiry is quoted separately. You get a fixed quote in writing after the first call, before any work begins.
Straightforward
Employment income, one or two accounts, no property or investments across the border.
Layered
Rental property, investment accounts, TFSAs or RESPs, self employment, or a move mid year.
Catch up and complex
Several late years, amnesty filings, corporations, trusts, expatriation, or an estate.
How we approach these
Three situations we handle often. Anonymised client examples will be added here once outcomes and consent are confirmed.
Where returns have not been filed for several years, we scope the open years first, then assess whether a streamlined or voluntary disclosure route fits the residency and conduct facts.
Where foreign tax credits were missed on an earlier return, we check whether the years are still open to amendment and whether the credit limits allow a claim.
Before a US assignment, we assess residence in each country, treaty eligibility and the returns required for the assignment and move years.
Who deals with your case
Questions we get every week
This is general guidance rather than advice on your situation.
I am a US citizen and have not filed since I moved. How much trouble am I in?
Often less than you fear. A streamlined procedure may be available where the failure to file was non-willful. Eligible foreign offshore submissions can receive relief from specified penalties; domestic offshore submissions generally carry a 5% offshore penalty. Tax and interest may still be due. We assess eligibility, residency and conduct before recommending a route. The options narrow once a tax authority makes contact, so the useful time to deal with it is now.
Will I be taxed twice on the same income?
Preparing both returns together lets us apply the foreign tax credits and treaty relief available to you, which reduces double taxation. It does not guarantee that every overlapping charge disappears. Credits have limits tied to the tax, the income category, the source and the timing, and state rules can differ from federal treaty treatment. The result depends on your income, residency and the rules that apply to you.
Is my TFSA a problem?
For a US person it needs a decision. The IRS does not treat it as tax free, so the income is generally reportable. A TFSA or RESP label does not by itself create a Form 3520 obligation, and relief may be available for qualifying education savings trusts and eligible individuals. Trust reporting relief does not remove income tax, FBAR, Form 8938 or PFIC analysis. We assess the account structure and any available exemption separately.
How many days can I spend across the border before it changes anything?
The US substantial presence test uses the current calendar year and the two preceding calendar years, weighting the earlier ones, so people cross the line without noticing. It generally needs at least 31 days in the current year and 183 weighted days. Certain days are excluded and exceptions apply. Canada looks at residential ties, has its own 183 day deemed resident rule and applies treaty residence rules where relevant. Track actual days rather than estimating months, and call before the year ends rather than after.
Do you work with people who are not near your offices?
Yes. The practice is remote by default across every state and province, with video calls and an encrypted document portal. The offices are there for people who would rather sit down with someone.
Lay out your problem and we will do the work to fix it.
Twenty minutes, no charge, and a written fixed quote afterwards. Evening slots on both time zones.
Book a call