2,121 plain-English guides on cross-border moves, US and Canadian returns, and small-business money. Each one ends in what to do next, and says when a written Diagnostic is the smarter first step.
Page 83 of 89, newest first.
Canada's version of an EIN is the CRA business number (BN). A Canadian company that needs a US EIN files Form SS-4 by phone, fax or mail, pays no fee, and can get it on the call.
Canadian TaxA family trust in Canada is a type of personal (inter vivos) trust created during the settlor's lifetime, typically to hold assets for the benefit.
Cross-BorderFATCA requires foreign banks to report accounts held by US persons to the IRS and requires US persons to report foreign financial assets on Form 8938.
Cross-BorderForm 708 is the IRS return that implements IRC Section 2801, a tax on gifts and bequests received by US persons from covered expatriates.
Cross-BorderYou file Form 8938 with your return if your foreign financial assets top $50,000 to $600,000, depending on where you live and how you file. Who files, what counts, penalties.
Canadian TaxCanada has no gift tax, and cash gifts aren't taxed to giver or recipient. Gifting stocks or real estate triggers capital gains for the giver, and US recipients may need Form 3520.
Cross-BorderThe IRS has three years to audit your return, six years if you omit more than 25% of gross income, and no time limit for fraud or unfiled returns.
Canadian TaxCanada has no inheritance tax, but the deceased's terminal return owes tax on deemed capital gains at death. Provinces charge probate fees.
Cross-BorderYou become a Canadian taxpayer the day you settle, Canada resets your cost base to that day's value, and a US citizen keeps filing a US return for life.
Cross-BorderThe physical presence test requires 330 full days in a foreign country during any 12 consecutive months to qualify for the FEIE.
Cross-BorderCanada has no retirement visa, so you need permanent residence or a family connection. Social Security follows you, and so does the US tax return.
Canadian TaxCanadian trust law and tax law treat revocable and irrevocable trusts very differently, and the distinction matters more here than in the US. In the US.
Cross-BorderA non-resident can keep an RRSP and contribute only from unused room. Withdrawals face 25% Canadian tax; periodic RRIF payments to a US resident are capped at 15%.
Cross-BorderAn RRSP and a 401(k) both defer tax until you withdraw. Compare 2026 limits, early withdrawal rules, forced withdrawals, and what happens to each when you cross the border.
Cross-BorderA Section 962 election lets a US individual pay the 21% corporate rate on CFC income and claim indirect foreign tax credits for Canadian corporate tax.
Cross-BorderSubpart F taxes passive and mobile income of a CFC directly to US shareholders, even without a distribution. interest. Covers treaty provisions, foreign.
Canadian TaxYou file Form T1135 if you're a Canadian resident whose foreign property cost more than $100,000 at any time in the year. Here's what counts, Part A vs B, and the due date.
Cross-BorderThe Roth IRA is the closest US equivalent of a TFSA: after-tax money in, tax-free growth and withdrawals. 2026 limits, withdrawal rules, and why neither crosses the border cleanly.
Cross-BorderYes, Canada and the US have a tax treaty, in force since 1984. It caps dividends at 15% (5% for 10% corporate owners), most interest at 0% and periodic pensions at 15%.
Cross-BorderYes, a US citizen can live in Canada. The immigration side is more open than most people expect: you can visit for up to six months without a visa.
Cross-BorderTen steps: sell Canadian-listed funds, settle retirement accounts, document arrival, file the Roth election, skip the TFSA, log the FBAR.
Canadian TaxYou can hold US stocks in a TFSA, but the 15% US withholding tax on dividends is trapped inside the account. There is no foreign tax credit to recover it.
Cross-BorderA Canadian who isn't a US citizen or green card holder shouldn't sign a W-9. Give the US payer a W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E for a company), which can cut withholding from 30% to 0%.
Cross-BorderYour 401(k) stays in the US when you move to Canada. You can leave it, take distributions, or move it into an RRSP under ITA 60(j). Here's how each option is taxed.