Tax on permanent residency — what part of this actually needs a professional?
Some of it, yes — and we will say so on the call if that is the honest answer. The parts that are worth paying for are the ones where a missed election, a missed deadline or an unverified threshold costs more than the fee: for Canada, tax residency follows ties rather than status; for the United States, holding the card is enough.
What if I have already filed and got it wrong?
That is a common starting point. We re-derive the position, identify whether an amendment or a disclosure route is the right vehicle, and tell you which one preserves the relief that is still available. The order matters more than the speed.
How long will it take?
It depends on the documents rather than on us. Once the pack is complete most filings turn around inside a fortnight; anything that needs a certificate from a tax authority runs on that authority's timetable, which we tell you at the start rather than at the end.
Does Canadian permanent residency automatically make me a tax resident?
No. Canada decides tax residence by looking at ties - where your home is, where your family lives, where your everyday life is carried on - not by the immigration status you hold. A person can hold permanent residency and remain a non-resident for tax, and a person on a work permit can be resident from the day they arrive. That is why the first question is not what status you hold but what you have established here and what you have kept behind you. The answer decides whether Canada taxes your worldwide income or only what arises in Canada.
Does holding a green card make me a US tax resident?
Yes, and this is where the two countries part company. In the United States the card is itself a test of tax residence, so worldwide income is reportable from the moment the status begins and for as long as it is held. Being away does not soften it. People who moved on and left the card in a drawer are often surprised that the filing obligation continued for as long as the status did, because nothing about the status lapses quietly for tax purposes. If you hold a card, assume you are inside the US system until it is formally given up.
I have a green card but live in Canada, do I file twice?
Usually you file in both countries, and the treaty then decides which one has the first claim on each item of income and which gives credit for the other country's tax. Two filings is not the same as double tax, but it is more work, and the credit only comes out right if the returns are prepared together and in the right order. Prepared separately, it is common to see relief claimed in the wrong country, or the same tax relieved twice. We take both sides of the file at once for that reason.
What tax happens when I give up my green card?
Surrender is a tax event in its own right, not only an immigration step. Long-term holders acquire exit-tax exposure, so handing back the card can bring a charge on unrealised gains and reporting obligations on the way out. How much is at stake depends on how long the status was held and on what you own when you give it up, which is why the decision to surrender belongs in the same conversation as the decision to obtain the status. Deciding to leave first and asking about tax afterwards is the sequence that costs money.
Should I sell my shares before I move to Canada?
Sometimes, and it turns on what a disposal would attract in the country you are leaving against what Canada would tax later. The decision has to be made before the move date, because afterwards the choice has gone. We look at what you hold, what the unrealised gain is, which country would tax a sale on each side of that date, and whether any of it would be sheltered in any event. Selling is not automatically right - for some holdings the tax on an early disposal is worse than anything the move creates. The point is to decide rather than drift.
Can I keep permanent residency in one country and live in another?
For immigration purposes that is a question for your immigration adviser. For tax, the answer differs by country. Canada would look at whether your ties here have been kept or cut, and can treat you as a non-resident while the status continues. The United States would not: the card is the test, and while it is held the worldwide filing obligation is held with it. So the same living arrangement can put you outside one system and squarely inside the other, which is why the two questions have to be answered separately rather than together.
What is RNOR status?
Resident but not ordinarily resident — a transitional category in India between non-residence and full residence, reached on the day counts after returning from a period abroad. While it lasts, certain foreign income stays outside the Indian tax base, which makes the timing of a return to India worth planning rather than leaving to chance. It is temporary, and the window is set by the day-count rules. See RNOR status.
What is RNOR status and why does it matter to a returning NRI?
Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident is a transitional Indian status that can apply for a limited period after you return, based on how long you were non-resident before. While it lasts, certain foreign income stays outside the Indian net that would be taxed once you become an ordinary resident — which makes the timing of a return date, and of realising foreign gains, a genuine planning decision rather than an administrative one. See the RNOR window.
