fees charged by

My question is: Applicable to both US and Canada
QUESTION: Hi David,
You mention in a past column you charge between 750-to 1200 for dual (US and
Canadian tax returns). I was wondering does this fee have to be paid
immediately or can it be taken out of the return if there is a credit?
Thanks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
david ingram replies:
The figure quoted for the last year was $750 to $1,500 Canadian I have
recently raised it to $800 to $2,000 because of the increased reporting of
Canadian RRSP and other foreign accounts to the US IRS and Department of the
Treasury.
I do not require it to be paid in advance and usually send a bill with the
return.
I can be paid by Visa, AMEX, MC, cheque, cash, check or money order.
Personal consultations are $400.00 per hour in person or by phone.
I also have a $300 CDN per half hour fee for phone consultations.  This was
only added in September.
I also have noted that I charge more for talking about tax matters than for
actually preparing the returns.
I have NO exploratory interviews.
The most inefficient use of my time is to come and spend an hour talking and
THEN give me the returns to do.  You will be charged for the hour Plus the
preparation.  If we just start off with the preparation, the conversation
usually ends up inside the preparation charge.
I am the only person who regularly deals with both immigration AND income
tax matters for both countries.  However, regular readers will recognize
that I usually refer US Immigration matters to US attorneys who are members
of the AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association.
I hate to say it but I started doing US / Canadian income tax returns in
1963.  This is my 42nd year in this business.
And, I do not think that the fees are out of line.  Joe Grasmick at
www.grasmick.com charges about $300 US per half hour for a phone
consultation and a $1,500 fee to a client last week was accepted gratefully
because she had paid $3,700 US to a big Five Accounting firm last year.  In
general I am cheaper than a large firm because we do not have the problem of
the US preparer having to talk to the Canadian preparer for two hours while
they decide what to do.
Answers to this and other similar  questions can be obtained free on Air
every Sunday morning.
Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, I, david ingram am a
permanent guest on Fred Snyder of Dundee Wealth Managers' LIVE talk show
called "ITS YOUR MONEY"
Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the internet
at
www.600AM.com <http://www.600am.com/>
Call (604) 280-0600 to have your question answered.  BC listeners can also
call 1-866-778-0600.
Callers to the show and questioners on this board can also attend the
Thursday Night seminars on finance and making your Canadian Mortgage
Interest deductible.
David Ingram's US/Canada Services
US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists
US / Canada Real Estate Specialists
Home office at:
4466 Prospect Road
North Vancouver,  BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7
Cell (604) 657-8451 -
(604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325
Calls welcomed from 9 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week (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.   Nothing in
this message is or should be construed as advice in any particular
circumstances. No contract exists between the reader and the author and any
and all non-contractual duties are expressly denied. All readers should
obtain formal advice from a competent and appropriately qualified legal
practitioner or tax specialist in connection with personal or business
affairs such as at www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com> . If you forward
this message, this disclaimer must be included."
Be ALERT,  the world needs more "lerts"
This from "ask an income tax and immigration expert" from www.centa.com
<http://www.centa.com/>  or www.jurock.com <http://www.jurock.com/>  or
www.featureweb.com <http://www.featureweb.com/> . David Ingram deals on a
daily basis with expatriate tax returns with:
multi jurisdictional cross and trans border expatriate problems  for the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, Kuwait,
Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, New Zealand, France,
Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia,
Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, Morocco, Israel, Iraq, Iran,
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Bangkok, Greenland, Iceland, Cuba,
Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada,, Virgin Islands, US, UK,
GB, and any of the 43 states with state tax returns, etc. Rockwall, Dallas,
San Antonio and Houston Texas
Denmark, Finland, Sweden Norway Bulgaria Croatia Income Tax and Immigration
Tips, Income Tax and Immigration Wizard Income Tax and Immigration Guru
Income Tax and Immigration Consultant Income Tax  and Immigration Specialist
Section 216(4) 216(1) NR6 NR-6 NR 6 Non-Resident Real Estate tax specialist
expert preparer consultant expatriate anti money laundering money seasoning
FINTRAC E677 E667 105 106 TDF-90 Reporting $10,000 cross border transactions
Alaska,  Alabama,  Arkansas,  Arizona,
California,  Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia,  Florida,
Garland, Georgia,  Hawaii,  Idaho,  Illinois,
Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky,
Louisiana,  Maine,  Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi,  Missouri,  Montana,  Nebraska,
Nevada, New Hampshire,  New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
North Dakota,  Ohio,  Oklahoma,  Oregon.
Pennsylvania,  Rhode Island,  Rockwall,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas,  Utah, Vermont,  Virginia,
West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming,
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec City,
New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon and
Northwest and Nunavit Territories,
Mount Vernon, Eumenclaw, Coos Bay
and Dallas Houston Rockwall Garland
Texas  Taxman and Tax Guru  and wizzard
wizard - consultant - expert - advisor -advisors consultants - gurus - Paris
Prague Moscow Berlin
Lima Rio de Janeiro, Santaigo
New York, Boston, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Salem, Wheeling, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Pensacola, Miami, St Petersburg, Naples, Fort Myers,
Cape Coral, Orlando, Atlanta, Arlington, Washington, Hudson, Green Bay,
Minot, Portland, Seattle, St John, St John's, Fredericton, Quebec, Moncton,
Truro, Atlanta, Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego,
Sacramento, Taos, Grand Canyon, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sun City, Tulsa,
Monteray, Carmel, Morgantown, Bemidji, Sandpointe, Pocatello, Bellingham,
Custer, Grand Forks, Lead, Rapid City, Mitchell, Kansas City, Lawrence,
Houston, Albany, Framingham, Cambridge, London, Paris, Prince George, Prince
Rupert, Whitehorse, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Frankfurt, The Hague, Lisbon,
Madrid, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Key West, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers,   Berlin,
Warsaw, Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Maui, Kuwait, Molokai, Beijing,
Shanghai, Tokyo, Manilla, Kent, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Red Deer, Olds,
Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, Brandon, Portage La Prairie, Davidson,
Craik, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Edinburgh,
Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Munich, Sydney, Nanaimo,
Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Athens, Rome, Berne, Zurich, Kyoto,
Nanking, Rio De Janeiro, Brasilia, Colombo, Buenos Aries, Squamish,
Churchill, Lima, Santiago, Abbotsford, Cologne, Yorkshire, Hope, Penticton,
Kelowna, Vernon, Fort MacLeod, Deer Lodge, Springfield, St Louis, Centralia,
Bradford, Stratford on Avon, Niagara Falls, Atlin, Fort Nelson, Fort St
James, Red Deer, Drumheller, Fortune, Red Bank, Marystown, Cape Spears,
Truro, Charlottetown, Summerside, Niagara Falls, Albany STAR WARS
Hope this helps.
ask international income tax & immigration expert consultant david ingram
from North Vancouver, BC, Canada experts on RRSP RESP IRA 401(K) radio CKBD
600AM 9 AM Sunday mornings on Fred Snyder's IT's YOUR MONEY