How Much Does a 1040-NR Cost for a Canadian?

A Canadian resident’s US Form 1040-NR has no IRS filing fee, and it can be e-filed. Software built for nonresident returns lists federal preparation at $54.95 (Sprintax). Firm prices we found start at $525 for a return with one W-2 (Taxes for Expats). Toronto Tax Consulting’s package with a treaty claim, the closer-connection form and an ITIN is “Starting at $3,000.” Ours is $600 on its own. Not filing on a US rental can leave you taxed at 30% of the gross rent. Every cross-border price we publish is on what cross-border tax help costs.

What does a 1040-NR cost if you file it yourself?

The Form 1040-NR instructions list no filing fee, and they say plainly: “You can electronically file (e-file) your Form 1040-NR.” Your cost is software and time. Sprintax, which is built for nonresident returns, lists federal 1040-NR preparation at $54.95 (SprintaxNR) or $59.95 (SprintaxNR Pro), plus $49.95 per state return (Sprintax fees, checked 2026-10-18).

The software is cheap; the decisions take the time. A Canadian with a Florida condo has to choose whether to treat the rent as business income under section 871(d) or a treaty, which, per the instructions, stays in effect “until revoked with the consent of the Commissioner.” You report depreciation you’ll have to account for when you sell. And you file by June 15 if you had no US wages subject to withholding, or April 15 if you did, for the 2025 return. The 1040-NR guide for Canadians covers who has to file.

What do firms charge for a 1040-NR?

Published firm prices for a federal 1040-NR start at $525 for a return with one W-2, but the scopes differ, and a rental or a sale usually costs more than the base line. Each row says what that page covers. Two of the Canadian firms don’t state a currency, so their prices are quoted as written.

Firm	What the price covers	Published price	Checked
Sprintax (software)	Federal Form 1040-NR; state returns extra	$54.95 or $59.95; state $49.95	2026-10-18
Taxes for Expats	”Non-resident return (form 1040NR) - includes one W-2”; each additional W-2, 1099 or 1042-S $50; state return $160	$525	2026-10-18
Cross Border Specialized Tax Solutions	”For sellers of U.S. Properties, reporting U.S. Rental property income, 1042-S forms, or reporting U.S. wages”; state filings $150	$550 (no currency stated)	2026-10-18
Serbinski Accounting	Average for a federal 1040 or 1040 NR with one state return and the FBAR, per person filing separate	$US 550 to 950	2026-10-18
Toronto Tax Consulting	1040NR “with treaty claim (Form 8833),” Form 8840, US rental or W-2, FBAR, ITIN if required	”Starting at $3,000” (no currency stated)	2026-10-18

The low and high ends here aren’t the same job. A $525 return with one W-2 is the simple case; the $3,000 package bundles a treaty disclosure, the closer-connection form and an ITIN application.

What pushes the price of a 1040-NR up?

Rental property, a sale, and anything that needs a treaty position. Rent is the most common reason a Canadian files, and it brings the net-basis election, a depreciation schedule and expenses to sort. A sale brings the purchase and sale records, the depreciation recapture, and usually a refund claim for tax withheld at closing.

• A US property sale. Buyers of US real property from foreign persons generally have to withhold 15% of the amount realized under FIRPTA, according to the IRS. The 1040-NR is how you settle the real tax and claim back any excess.
• A treaty-based position. Under IRC 6114, a taxpayer who takes the position that a treaty overrules or modifies a US tax law has to disclose it, which is Form 8833. See when you need Form 8833.
• State returns. If the property’s state has an income tax, its return is separate work and a separate fee.
• No US tax number. Without a Social Security number you’ll need an ITIN, which is its own application; see what an ITIN costs.
• The Canadian side. The same rent goes on your Canadian return, with a foreign tax credit for the US tax. Two returns that have to agree is why we also sell both together.

What does Blue Cloud charge for a 1040-NR?

A 1040-NR on its own is $600. An extra state return is $125. If you need the Canadian side done with it, our Canadian in the US package covers a 1040 or 1040-NR plus the Canadian return together, from $1,745 per person. Each is a starting point, fixed in writing at the Diagnostic.

Those prices are for the return itself. Clearance certificates for selling Canadian property ($700) or a section 216 return for Canadian rent ($700) are separate lines on the same rate card. A spouse’s second separate return is typically 50%.

What does not filing a 1040-NR cost?

Two things: the penalty and the deductions. The failure-to-file penalty under IRC 6651(a) is 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month, up to 25%. For a return required to be filed in 2026 that’s more than 60 days late, the minimum is the lesser of $525 or 100% of the tax due, per Rev. Proc. 2024-40.

The bigger cost is under Treas. Reg. 1.874-1: a nonresident gets the deductions and credits otherwise allowed only by filing a true and accurate return on time. If you filed the year before, or it’s your first required year, “on time” means within 16 months of the due date. Miss that and the net-basis treatment is gone for the year. Income that isn’t effectively connected is taxed at “the flat 30% rate or lower treaty rate,” with no deductions, per the instructions, and a missed Form 8833 costs $1,000 for an individual under IRC 6712.

What should I do next?

List what you had in the US last year: rent, a sale, wages, or business income, and any US tax withheld. Check whether a net-basis election is already in place from an earlier return. Then check the 16-month clock on each year you haven’t filed, because that clock decides whether the fix is cheap.

• Rent and the 30% question: US rental income for Canadians.
• Short-term rentals: Airbnb on a US property as a non-resident.

This guide is general information, not tax advice for your specific situation. Which points apply, and how, depends on your facts.