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Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, In your winter 2014, Issue 93, you advised Linda Johnson of Vancouver B.C. that the sale of her current home “would be subject to capital gains tax on the difference between the sale price and the purchase price you paid, less improvements. Ten per cent of the sale price is required to […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, My question is about defining working in the U.S. I could ask at the border, but I’m afraid that asking will bring attention to my situation with potential negative fallout. I am a contractor for a Canadian education company providing services to Canadian businesses only. Within this role, I provide course facilitation […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, I think it important to warn other snowbirds about my unfortunate experience with Bell Canada. For two years, I requested temporary suspension of my satellite dish for the TV while I was in Florida. This was done…and I was charged a minimal amount. This past October 2013, I phoned them as usual. […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, Like many snowbirds, we do our banking online while in Florida. While away from home, we use Kathy’s debit card information to access our company and personal bank accounts but, last winter, we discovered that her card was about to expire while we were away. It had a November expiry date. According […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, I recently found out about the 180-day time permitted in the U.S. We are Canadian citizens who own property in the U.S. and we spend an average of about six months per year (three winter, three summer). However, we were unaware of this Form 8840 Closer Connection to Canada until two weeks […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, I have struggled with this form (8840) for a while now. Here’s the reason why. I have sold my home in Canada. I have a permanent address in Canada inasmuch as my wife’s sister and brother-in-law have a complete suite furnished in their basement and said that we have a bona fide […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, In Arizona, snowbirds are non-primary residents and are classed as category 4 subsection 1 for property taxes, which excludes us from protection from licensed trades that go bankrupt, and from making a claim through the Registry of Arizona Contractors to their Recovery Fund. This requires a classification of 3 (primary residence). So […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, My husband and I are retiring this January and are planning to spend our winters in either Arizona or Texas. Is there a U.S. bank that is a better choice for Canadians? We are heading to Arizona for February and to Texas in March and would like to open a chequing account […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, In your always informative Editor’s notes in the Summer 2013 issue, you mentioned that snowbird visitors are not allowed to work in the U.S. Is this different than for any other Canadian? For example, what about Canadians who give the occasional speech or lead a workshop at a conference in the U.S., […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, We recently bought a manufactured home in Florida. We have heard that if we sell this unit down the road, we will be taxed by the U.S. government. There are many different opinions on this. Can you advise us of the drawbacks of a Canadian selling mobile homes in Florida? Lorraine Hoculik […]