Your Tax, Finance, Immigration, VisaI have been answering questions posed of me about Personal Tax, Immigration, Work Visas, Real Estate, Insurance and Investment here on this domain since November of 1994 and before that via e-mail and snail-mail.
You can find answers to many questions simply by typing the question into the search engine field at the top of any page and it will look across several of the sites we have - from this one to the David-Ingram.com Video site.
Initially the questions served to decide what topics to cover in my books, then they were compiled into newsletters and you'll find links to these newsletters in the upper left border. Later, the questions were simply set up as individual pages - question at the top and answer below, many times with similar answers tacked on to complete the explanation. These you'll find under the Topics menu at the top of the page - but the best way to find relevant ones is to simply use the search engine - there are over 5000 answers already.
If for some reason you can't find the answer to your question, or you think the information might be outdated or even wrong or not applicable to your particular situation then you can ask directly.
The first involves sending me a question by e-mail to TAXMAN AT CENTA DOT COM (or via the link on the CEN-TA web site that does pretty much the same thing). If I answer the question via email you'll be added to the mail list that all such answers go out to. You'll be in good company since many other tax and immigration professionals as well as some of the very bureaucrats and politicians who make the laws and regulations are also on these lists: one each for Canada and the US, and one that covers both plus other jurisidictions.
The second method to get your question answered is to book a time to call me directly and pay an hourly fee. The fee is $450/hour Canadian with a minimum of 1 hour, and I'll charge it to your Visa/Master Card/Amex. I'm generally available for bookings from 8AM to 10PM weekdays but with enough notice I can usually accomodate your needs for other times.
"Why should you pay me so much?" you might ask.
Well, for one thing I really do know a lot about the various subjects that go to make up personal finances in general and taxation and cross-border problems with tax in specific. For another, to get the information you'll get from me in a typical call, you'd have to talk to several people in various professions (at not much, if any, lower rate), and likely not get the perspective and correct information from even them since they won't understand the whole picture as I do. Most times you will get direct answers with form numbers, hints on filling them in, tips on things like how the various governments will treat you if you need to file back years, and insights into the system that you (and the rest of us) have to deal with if we want to live in our Western, tax-supported society without unduely annoying bureaucrats.
Personal finance is complex, and if you don't know the rules you can be subject to fines that can be thousands per day or tens of thousands per year - just for not filing the right form. Personal finance and work/living across jurisdictions can be even more complex. A single phone consultation can save you far more than my hourly charge - or help you earn more or keep you out of jail or from getting your car or other assets siezed at the border.
Speaking of the border, if you do get into problems at the border call - right then - from the border, and I'll see what I can do and suggest. I've saved many people literally years of hassles and recovered all manner of posessions and reputations. No guarantees, but if you truly are "innocent" of any intentional wrongdoing there is always a chance.
I spend a lot of time both sitting in on and working with various cross-border committees and people, from the likes of C.I.T.E.S. (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to the Nexus Pass organization to various polliticians, ambasadors, consuls and trade representatives.
I also personally deal daily with some of our customer base of thousand of cross-border people in all walks of life from airline employees to sports and entertainment stars to Joe Average who simply lives on one side of the border and works on the other. These people and their tax, investment and visa needs keep me up to date on what is going on and provide me with insights into what others might do or want to do - and I've been doing this for decades.
I have also in the past been registered to sell: Life insurance, investments, real estate and have owned and managed several cross-border businesses. In addition, I've done many years of financial couselling regarding divorce and death. Oh yeah - I also at one point was studying to become a veterinarian - but that's dealing with the BS from a whole different source.
In short, there are few aspects of personal financial and working life that I have not dealt with in a professional capacity at some point, and this broad experience and daily exposure to the problems leaves me uniquely able to help people quickly and successfuly deal with their questions and problems.
Call - at worst I won't be able to help you but I'll likely be able to tell you that before the meter starts. At best you'll save yourself a ton of trouble and likely a pile of money.
In North America - 1-866-980-0499
In the Vancouver Area or
from anywhere else in the world
(+1) 604-980-0499
Last Updated Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 12:40 PM PDT|9,741 Hits 
