Which treaty wins when three countries apply — where does doing it myself start to cost money?
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: each treaty is applied between its own pair of countries, so residence is settled first, then each income stream is traced from source to residence.
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.
How do Canadians reduce US estate tax exposure?
The treaty does much of the work: it gives a Canadian resident a credit pro-rated by the share of the worldwide estate made up of US assets, plus a marital credit that can defer exposure on a transfer to a spouse. Beyond that the levers are the ones you would expect — the domicile of the funds you hold, whether US real property is held directly or through a structure, and life insurance to fund the liability rather than reduce it. Worldwide estate value is what the pro-ration turns on. See treaty relief on US estate tax.
How is my RRSP taxed if I move to the United States?
The treaty lets a US resident defer US tax on the income accruing inside an RRSP or RRIF until it is distributed, which is what stops annual growth being taxed with no cash to pay it — but the position has to be taken and, historically, disclosed. On withdrawal Canada takes withholding as the source country and the United States taxes the distribution with a credit, complicated by the fact that the two systems can measure the taxable portion differently. Contributions and basis need tracking from the start. See treaty relief for RRSPs, 401(k)s and IRAs.
How do I find out whether Canada has a tax treaty with a particular country?
Canada has income tax conventions in force with more than ninety jurisdictions, and the Department of Finance publishes the status of each one — in force, signed but not yet in force, or under negotiation. Read two things, not one: the treaty text, and whether the Multilateral Instrument has modified it. A treaty printed before that modification can give you the wrong answer on entitlement. See where we work.
What documents do you need to start?
The last two years of returns from each country involved, the slips or certificates for the income in question, and a note of dates — arrival, departure, or the transaction date.
Can you work alongside my existing accountant?
That is how most of our engagements run. They keep the domestic file, we take the cross-border piece, and the scope boundary is agreed in writing so nothing is done twice or missed.
