Who We Serve · US–Canada
The US–Canada border is the busiest cross-border tax corridor in the world — and one of the easiest places to get US filings wrong. Through LCW Tax Advisory (Canada) Limited, we serve Americans in Canada and Canadians with US ties as a core practice, not a sideline.
Who This Is For
You file in Canada — but the US still expects a return every year. We prepare US returns that work with your Canadian filings: foreign tax credits aligned, TFSAs and RESPs reported correctly, and treaty positions documented.
A move south, a US rental property, a stake in a US business. We advise before the border is crossed — residency start dates, departure planning, and the elections that are only available if made on time.
Heading north does not end your US filing life; it makes it more interesting. We plan the transition year, keep both systems from taxing the same dollar twice, and flag Canadian accounts that carry US reporting consequences.
Dual citizens, cross-border marriages, children born in either country, inheritances that cross the line. We untangle who must file what, in which country, and how the two returns should fit together.
Scope
Every engagement is scoped in writing before work begins. These are the matters that most often bring US–Canada clients to us.
Discuss your situationInsights
From Florida condos to Arizona rentals, Canadian owners of US property face a defined set of US filings — the 1040-NR, the net-rental election, ITINs, and FIRPTA withholding at sale. A walkthrough of the lifecycle.
Read articleCanada's favourite tax-sheltered accounts lose their shelter at the border. How the IRS treats TFSAs, RESPs, FHSAs and RRSPs in the hands of US persons — and what to do about it.
Read articleA plain-language overview of the US filing obligations that follow American citizens and green card holders to Canada — the annual return, the FBAR, and the traps hiding inside ordinary Canadian accounts.
Read articleFAQ
Yes. US citizens and green card holders must generally file a US return on worldwide income wherever they live. Because Canadian tax rates are usually higher, foreign tax credits often reduce the US tax to zero — but the return, the FBAR and related disclosures are still required, and some Canadian accounts can create US tax even when none is expected.
The US does not recognise the TFSA’s tax-free status, so its income is generally taxable on your US return, and the account itself is reportable. Depending on its contents, PFIC reporting may apply to the funds inside it. Many Americans in Canada restructure their savings once they see the full picture.
A non-resident with US rental income generally files Form 1040-NR each year, and most owners elect to be taxed on a net basis rather than suffer 30% withholding on gross rents. When you sell, FIRPTA withholding applies at closing unless reduced by certificate. An ITIN is usually the first step — we handle all of it.
Before you move — ideally several months before. Residency start dates, the timing of gains, RRSP and TFSA decisions, and entity elections are far more valuable as planning than as repair. A single pre-move consultation often pays for itself many times over.
Our practice is the US side of the border. We routinely coordinate with Canadian accountants — yours or ones we work with regularly — so the two returns are prepared consistently rather than in isolation.
Work with us
Tell us which way you are crossing and what you own. We will map the US filings, flag the planning windows, and quote a defined scope.