Bird Talk

Posted date : May 30, 2019.

I own a Florida condo. Do I need a U.S. will? Since only one’s last will is honoured, I would want it to be the same as the one I currently have. Must I bring my current will with me if I get another one in the U.S.? Could a Canadian lawyer prepare it or […]

Posted date : May 30, 2019.

What, if any, are the reporting requirements in both Canada and the U.S. when we sell our personal use condo in Florida. Our primary residence is in Canada. We purchased the condo in 2012 for about US$87,000. While the condo has appreciated, the sale price would be less than US$200,000. The section in the CSA […]

Posted date : May 30, 2019.

We purchased a condo in Florida four years ago and have made an approximate US$100,000 capital gain on it. But we are thinking of buying another property for about $315,000, thus not receiving any capital gain as we are rolling it all back into another unit. Do we still have to pay tax on the […]

Posted date : May 30, 2019.

I was reading your reply to a member from Ontario, who asked about capital gains tax. We own a home in Florida. Bought it for US$65,000 and are selling it for US$130,000. We were told that we could deduct improvements we made to our place, such as all new windows, new roof, new AC, new […]

Posted date : May 30, 2019.

We own a house in Newport, VT, where we spend fewer than six months. We are planning other vacation time to be spent in other countries in 2019. What are the consequences in Québec? Michel Bérubé Sherbrooke, QC Response : Ed.: Quebec allows a six-month absence in any calendar year. You would be able to […]

Posted date : May 14, 2019.

I found out recently that I need to submit an 8840 from July 2015 to current. Should I still file, even though it’s past the June 15 deadline? Or wait until next year? Is there a penalty or consequence for late filing? Thomas Phillips Vancouver, BC Response : Ed.: File it now. There are no […]

Posted date : May 14, 2019.

I don’t know this for sure, but I heard of a Canadian going over the U.S. border and being asked by the agent what he thought of the U.S. president. Again, I don’t know what the response was, but the Canadian citizen has been barred from the U.S. for five years. I am going over […]

Posted date : May 14, 2019.

OHIP now requires you to attest that Canada is your principal residence. We spend seven months in the U.S. and five months in Ontario. Given these circumstances, can we still maintain OHIP? Arthur Wenk Brechin, ON Response : Ed.: The CSA has lobbied and received approval in Ontario and many other provinces (through regulation changes) […]

Posted date : May 14, 2019.

We drive to our winter home in Arizona every year. As we get older, we will eventually fly for our six-month stay. Can we fly down with only a one-way ticket with the intention of purchasing the return ticket at a later date? Or, to avoid problems at customs, would it be best to always […]

Posted date : May 14, 2019.

We flew from Toronto to Honolulu to board a Holland America cruise ship on the same day. Thirty-three days later, we arrived in Auckland, NZ. We flew back to Toronto via a San Francisco connection. How many of these days are considered being in the U.S. against our 182-day U.S. allotment. Does it make a […]