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Guides · Cross-Border

Cross-Border guides

581 plain-English guides on cross-border, each one ending in what to do next.

All Cross-BorderUS TaxCanadian TaxSmall Business & BookkeepingCFO & AdvisoryTax Planning

Page 17 of 25, newest first.

Cross-Border

Form 706-NA: filing the US estate tax return for a Canadian who died owning US assets

A Canadian dies owning a Florida condo and a brokerage account holding US shares. Nine months later the IRS expects a return.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

I Haven't Filed US Taxes in Years. How Far Back Do I Go?

The IRS does not want fifteen years of back returns. It wants three years of income tax returns and six years of FBARs, filed through the right program.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

What Is an In-Trust-For (ITF) Account and How Is It Taxed?

An ITF account at a Canadian bank looks simple but triggers Canadian attribution rules, plus foreign trust reporting when a parent or child is a US person.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Joint tenancy (JTWROS) across the border: Canada and US tax traps

The tax consequences aren't simple at all, and they get worse when one of those names belongs to a US citizen or green card holder.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

What Are the Kiddie Tax Rules for Children's Unearned Income?

Since 1986, IRC 1(g) has required that a child's unearned income above a threshold be taxed at the parent's marginal rate, not the child's.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Life insurance across the border: Canada and US tax treatment

Life insurance is one of those things that works beautifully in one country and then falls apart when you add the other country's tax rules.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Principal Residence Exemption Across the Border: Canada and the US

How the Canadian principal residence exemption under ITA 40(2)(b) and the US section 121 exclusion interact when you sell a home after crossing the border.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

RDTOH and US shareholders of Canadian corporations

How Canada's refundable dividend tax on hand system interacts with US tax rules for Americans owning CCPCs, including CFC, GILTI.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Reporting US Airbnb Income on Your Canadian Tax Return

Canadian residents report US Airbnb income on Form T776, claim the foreign tax credit on T2209, and file T1135 if the property cost exceeds $100,000 CAD.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

How Canadians report US income on their return

How to report US income on your Canadian T1, including foreign tax credits on T2209, T1135 filing thresholds, and the mistakes that trigger reassessments.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Cross-border RESP planning for US and Canadian families

How RESPs work across the US-Canada border: trust reporting, PFIC exposure, CESG grants, withdrawal tax, and planning strategies for cross-border families.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

RRSP and RRIF on death: what a US-person beneficiary needs to know

A Canadian RRSP or RRIF that was tax-deferred for decades becomes fully taxable when the holder dies.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

SDOP vs SFOP: Which Streamlined Track Do I Qualify For?

SDOP and SFOP are one streamlined program with two tracks. Miss the non-residency call and a $500,000 balance costs $25,000 instead of zero.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Selling a Cross-Border STR: The Exit Checklist

Selling a US vacation rental as a Canadian resident triggers filings on both sides of the border, and the sequencing matters.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Canadian Snowbird Renting on Airbnb: The Full Tax Picture

The complete tax picture when a Canadian snowbird rents a Florida condo on Airbnb part of the year: US reporting, the 871(d) election, IRC 280A.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Spousal trusts in Canada: cross-border planning for mixed-status couples

A Canadian spousal trust lets you transfer property to a trust for your spouse's benefit without triggering an immediate tax bill.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

What Happens to Your RRSP, TFSA, and RESP in Streamlined Filing

An RRSP gets treaty deferral and light reporting. A TFSA gets none of that: it's a foreign trust, taxed every year, on Forms 3520 and 3520-A.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Streamlined Filing for Americans Abroad (Non-Canada)

If your bank in London, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Singapore, or Sydney sent you a letter asking for a US tax identification number you don't have.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

What Happens After a Streamlined Filing? Audit Risk and What to Expect

After you submit streamlined returns and FBARs, here's what the IRS actually does with them, the real audit risk, and what you owe going forward.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Streamlined Filing for Canadian Snowbirds Who Became US Tax Residents

A snowbird who crossed the substantial presence threshold may owe no US tax but face steep FBAR and Form 8938 penalties. Streamlined filing closes the gap.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Why Streamlined Submissions Get Rejected (and How to Avoid It)

Streamlined filing isn't a rubber stamp. The IRS rejects incomplete packages, wrong track selections, and weak non-willfulness certifications.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

How Cryptocurrency Complicates a Streamlined Filing Catch-Up

A streamlined catch-up is already a reconstruction project: three years of returns, six years of FBARs, one non-willfulness statement.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

Streamlined Filing for Married Couples: Joint Filers and Both-Spouse Rules

Most IRS streamlined guidance reads as if you're a single filer. You have unreported accounts, you file the package, and you're done.

Aug 27, 2026
Cross-Border

How Does Streamlined Filing Work for Retirees with Canadian Pensions?

Retirees collecting CPP, OAS, RRIF, or private pensions in Canada can catch up through SFOP with zero penalty.

Aug 27, 2026