Date: Friday February 03, 2006 Time: 07:24 PM -0800 QUESTION: I'm a US citizen and my wife is Canadian. She has a US green card and we're both living in the US, but plan to move to Vancouver within the next few months. I work for a US organization, pay taxes to the US, and can continue my work from Vancouver. Will I be expected to pay taxes to Canada on this US income? Would there be any advantage to keeping an address in the US, as a part-time residence, while living in Canada? We both want legal status in both countries. What advice to you have? -------------------- david ingram replies: Is you both want status, your wife has to apply for AND receive her US citizenship BEFORE you move to Canada. Although it is true that you can apply for an I-131 to keep the Green Card alive for 4 or 5, even up to 8 years, it is messy, you have to apply every year with trepidation and is just plain silly when you can just stay there a little longer and get permanent US status. If there is a reason for her to be in Vancouver because of a commitment of some sort, you can make an interim move to Blaine or Birch Bay or Sumas or Custer and commute to Vancouver when necessary. This will also save you tax in the meantime because you can continue to pay US tax in the second lowest tax state in the US. If and when you move to Canada and continue working in the US, you will pay tax to the US first and then report the money again to Canada and calculate the tax on the same money. You will then use lines 431 and 433 on schedule 1 and the Provincial form T2036 to calculate the foreign tax credit. Usually, a person in your position will get credit for every cent of US tax on your Canadian return. If you are actually just working in Canada, do NOT let the US payer deduct any US income tax because your first tax liability will be to Canada. Goto www.centa.com and read the US / Canada Taxation section in the second box down on the right hand side for a detailed explanation of the duties of a US citizen's and /or green card holder's US tax liabilities while living in Canada. -------------------------------------------------- David Ingram's US / Canada Services US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists US / Canada Real Estate Specialists My Home office is at: 4466 Prospect Road North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7 Cell (604) 657-8451 - (604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325 Calls welcomed from 10 AM to 10 PM 7 days a week Vancouver (LA) time - (please do not fax or phone outside of those hours as this is a home office) email to taxman at centa.com <mailto:taxman at centa.com> www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> www.david-ingram.com <http://www.david-ingram.com/> Disclaimer: This question has been answered without detailed information or consultation and is to be regarded only as general comment. 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