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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 23 of 25, newest first.

Cross-Border

I'm a Canadian selling my US rental. What is depreciation recapture?

Section 1250(a) recapture is zero on a post-1986 straight-line residential rental held more than a year (sell inside a year and it's real).

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

I'm buying a place in Florida. Should I hold it personally, in an LLC, in my Canadian company, or in a trust?

It depends on the property's value, estate plan, and exposure. It depends on the axis, and this page lays out each rather than picking for you.

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

I'm moving back to Canada and still own a place in Florida: should I sell before I go?

The decision turns on the US side (basis doesn't move) and one Canadian filing that switches on unless the place is personal-use.

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

I'm a Snowbird and I Just Bought a Florida Condo. Does That Change My Taxes?

No, a condo doesn't change your day count. Your day count does that, and ownership isn't a term in it.

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

I'm a Canadian with a Florida condo. Do I really only get a $60,000 US estate tax exemption?

Usually no. The treaty replaces the $60,000 default with a pro-rata share of the full US exclusion, but you must file Form 706-NA to claim it.

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

My US Rental Is Inside My Canadian Corporation. Was That a Mistake?

It might be, and the fix has a price either way. Three problems run at once, on two sides of the border.

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

Is 30% really taken off my US rental income, or can I elect out of it?

Yes. Rent from a US property pays a flat 30% of the gross to the IRS, with no deductions allowed against it.

Jul 30, 2026
Cross-Border

I Commute From Windsor to Detroit. Am I a US Tax Resident?

Usually not. Days you commute home within 24 hours don't count toward US residency if you cross on more than 75% of your workdays.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

I'm a Canadian Working Remotely for a US Company. Who Taxes Me?

Canada taxes your remote pay first, because you're resident here. What you owe, what your US employer owes Canada, and the forms both sides need.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Do I Have to File Form 5471 for My Canadian Corporation?

Probably, yes. If you're a US person (citizen, green card holder, or US tax resident) and you own at least 10% of a Canadian corporation or control it.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Dual-Status Return or Full-Year Election? How to File Your First US Year

Dual-status is the default in your arrival year. Three separate elections can change that, and two of them generally need a spouse. Here's which is which.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

The IRS Penalized Me for a Late Form 3520 on My TFSA. Can I Fight It?

A section 6677 penalty is assessable, meaning the IRS can charge it without first sending a proposed notice you get to argue about.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Is a Paid Cross-Border Tax Assessment Worth It Before You Hire Anyone?

A paid assessment is worth it when your file holds an unknown that changes the price or the plan. If you already know which returns you need, skip it.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

LLC or C-Corp for My E-2 Business?

An LLC formed while you're still a Canadian resident usually lands in a mismatch Canada doesn't fix, and an S corporation is closed to a nonresident alien.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Moving From BC to California: Does California Tax My RRSP?

Yes, California taxes your RRSP growth every year. Yes, in the accrual years, and that's the mismatch almost nobody warns you about.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Moving From Ontario to Florida: What Happens to Your Taxes?

Florida levies no personal income tax, but the cost of the move lands on the Canadian side, on the way out.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Renouncing US Citizenship From Canada: Catch Up First, Then the Exit Tax

Catch up first, then renounce. Form 8854's five-year compliance certification makes you a covered expatriate at any net worth if you can't certify.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Should I take the flat 25% on my non-resident RRSP withdrawal, or file a section 217 election?

A section 217 election trades the flat 25% withholding on non-resident RRSP income for graduated Canadian rates. Who wins, the June 30 wall, and the math.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

Do I File a T1135 for My US Accounts? And What If I'm Years Late?

US brokerage accounts, US bank accounts and US shares all count toward that line under ITA 233.3. US retirement accounts are the unsettled cell.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

My unreported income was employment income rather than account income. Do I still need Streamlined?

Probably yes, you need Streamlined. Probably yes, though the reason is the gate rather than the income source.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

What Happens to My LIRA When I Move to the US? Can I Unlock It?

Canada doesn't deem your LIRA sold when you leave, and in most places you can unlock it as a non-resident, usually about two years after you go.

Jul 29, 2026
Cross-Border

How Many Days Can a Canadian Snowbird Spend in the US?

There's no flat 182-day safe number. The substantial presence test weights three years, so 122 days each winter, three winters running, already meets it.

Jul 28, 2026
Cross-Border

Moving Back to Canada From the US: A Tax Checklist

Canadian tax starts again on the day you establish residential ties here, which is a facts question rather than a border formality.

Jul 28, 2026
Cross-Border

What happens to my 401(k) and Roth IRA when I move back to Canada? Can I roll it into an RRSP?

Usually yes for a 401(k), though CRA has never confirmed it: ITA 60(j) gives a deduction if five conditions hold and you fund the RRSP in time.

Jul 27, 2026