🚀 go-pugleaf

Chris Hudel (hudel@hppad.waterloo.hp.com) wrote:

: Hello, Hope I can ask some tax related questions. 
: Here's my story: 

: My employer relocated me from Canada to USA where I am
: working now on an L1-A Visa. I moved to the USA Oct
: 15th at which point I ceased to earn income in Canada
: and started to earn income in the USA. 

: Q: Do I meet the substantive prescence test for IRS? 
:    If I don't, do I still file my income tax for
:    Federal and State (NC)? 

I hope the misc.taxes posting will bring you advice on
the US end of this. 

: Q: If I don't meet resident status for filing , must I
:    declare all (Canada and USA) income to Canada
:    revenue service? 

Canada will consider you resident for two years after
your departure, unless you go to extraodinary lengths
to show you have broken all ties with Canada (banks,
licenses, medical insurance, property), so you should
declare your world income on a 96 tax return. 

: Q: if one government generally has a lower income tax
:    bracket, can I take advantage of this?

By the US/Canada tax treaty, your American tax paid,
if any, will be a credit against your Canadian tax
payable. 

: Q: I will be married in this year.  For next year's
:    taxes, must my wife have a SSN (or TIN) in order
:    for me to claim her as a dependent? 

: Q: I assume my questions and situation falls outside
:    the range of conventiional computer tax software. 
:    What is a "ballpark" price for a tax preparer to do
:    both Canadian & USA taxes?  Is this work I can do
:    myself (with a little help from the 'net?) 

These are US questions, but I would strongly advise
going to an American tax preparer, one who can talk
confidently on the phone about your situation, and
get things set up properly as you start. The devil,
as they say, is in the details, and you would be
unwise not to take advantage of a more experienced
mind dealing with the full facts of your story.

: Thanks and cheers,

Yr welcome.
-- 
***** ** * ******************  ***************** ********* ** ** * *****  ***
*  Peter Messaline is The Taxpert, an actor's tax preparer (416) 960-1785 *
*  Check him online: http://www.myna.com/~chridean/itb-taxpert.htm     	  ** 
*  (This message a personal opinion) *******   *** * ***  *********  *******