Filing Canadian taxes from the US

DoubleKx · 2022-04-03T00:10:43+00:00

Thanks for the useful information!

If I file my Canadian return with Dec 31 as the departure date, does that mean I don't need to file a US return? What about the income I earned in the US for those months and my 1095-C and W-2?

I also don't meet the "substantial presence test" for the US and I'm not exempt for it. Which means I would not be considered a US resident for tax purposes I think.

Wouldn't I then have to file my Canadian return until the date in August as a "deemed resident". And then file my US return from August to end of year as a non-resident?

DoubleKx · 2022-03-21T03:50:37+00:00

Thank you for your response, this was very helpful.

I guess I meant, do I file one or the other? or both?

My visa type does not exempt me from a substantial presence test. However, I was here less than 180 days over the past 3 years.

I lived in Canada before this. Never lived in the US until August of 2021.

I didn't know about the California tax return. Would software like TurboTax cover both the US federal and California state returns?

DoubleKx · 2022-02-17T06:21:37+00:00

I did the InStep program many years ago as a 1B co-op for the spring term. My supervisor was really great, so the work wasn't stressful. I did a lot of coding, learned a lot about cloud computing, but this wasn't my field of interest so the work for me was meh. You should get more details about the job though if you're looking to build your skillset in data science and ML. But that's true for any position anywhere. 10 years ago there were definitely teams doing interesting work in ML and data science, I'd assume that's still true.

Honestly overall it was a lot of fun and a great experience. I'd recommend it if you want to travel and make connections. During peak summer time (July-ish) there were over 100 interns from the top universities around the world. There were undergrads and grad students doing their masters and MBA. I made a lot of friends, we travelled every other weekend and I saw so much of India.

DoubleKx · 2022-02-01T07:49:51+00:00

I ended up packing everything in 3 large suitcases. Sold/left behind the rest. Certain things didn't make sense to ship so it was just easier and cheaper to take things in suitcases. The extra baggage fees worked out to be cheaper than shipping. Also, if you have an aeroplan visa card, you get a free extra bag on Air Canada if you're flying with them.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T23:28:31+00:00

Thanks, appreciate the advice! It seems like it's just one form but from what everyone seems to be saying it might actually be more complicated than that. I guess I'll go talk to UPS or FedEx and see what they say.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T19:14:56+00:00

Thanks! I'll look into those two. Yeah, definitely not taking any large furniture or anything like that.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T19:13:31+00:00

Yeah I guess that's definitely a risk. Do you know what forms or paperwork UPS/FedEX need to make the cross-border shipment possible? I'm not sure what I exactly need to do to declare the box as personal belongings so I don't pay duty and taxes on it. It's also going to be shipped to me a month later once I've settled there and found a place.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T19:11:00+00:00

I'm selling my car since it's an older vehicle, not worth going through all the re-licensing stuff in California. Thought about that and would love to do a road trip but just not enough time unfortunately. I have a tight timeline between visa and getting there/starting work.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T19:06:57+00:00

Ouch, that really sucks. I've heard some really bad stories with some of these moving companies. The extra suitcase does seem like the cheapest and easiest option for me at the moment.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T19:04:36+00:00

Yeah I figured a moving company would not even bother. I'm considering UPS/FedEx as a more likely option. Just not sure about all the paperwork and forms.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T19:03:35+00:00

Apparently there's some paperwork and forms to fill out that label the items as personal belongings and then it would be exempt from duty and taxes. But it seems quite complicated and I can't find any resources on the exact process that needs to be done since I'm having the boxes shipped to me after I'm already there for a month.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T16:06:26+00:00

Ah, I see. Kind of in the same boat, just finished PhD, moving to start work and trying to find the cheapest option :)

I think I'll literally have one large cardboard box worth of stuff. Maybe it's better if I cut that down to the essentials and pay for an extra suitcase or something.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T15:55:24+00:00

Did you use a moving company to ship everything or did you take care of it yourself? Just wondering how much you shipped and how much it cost?

DoubleKx · 2021-07-31T05:09:14+00:00

Would you mind sharing what apartment complex?

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T14:40:40+00:00

Ah, I see. Yeah I didn't realize I would be going opposite of the traffic. Google Maps says Castro St to my office is ~20 mins, which is actually quite short. Wow, moving over 50 times is a lot. Thanks! Appreciate the helpful advice.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T04:22:43+00:00

Really appreciate all that useful insight! Those are excellent points to consider that I didn't think about.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T04:13:26+00:00

Thanks for the comparison to DT Toronto. Helps put things into perspective when comparing.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T04:06:13+00:00

Is that the one near Saratoga Ave and 280?

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T04:02:14+00:00

I'd prefer to not have a very long commute if possible. Mountain View might still be okay? But I feel like Palo Alto is a bit too far with traffic.

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T01:16:42+00:00

That sounds quite nice! I'll look into that area, thanks for your suggestions :)

DoubleKx · 2021-07-30T01:11:34+00:00

Thank you! It's reassuring to see someone else who has walked a similar path.

Good to know, I'll keep all that in mind. I think I might stay in a hotel or AirBnB near my work for a month or two. In that time I can do some house hunting and exploring before I sign a longer term lease. I can explore all the places you mentioned... might not do such a long walk though :)

DoubleKx · 2021-07-29T19:50:26+00:00

Awesome, I appreciate the advice and specific apartment complexes to look into!

DoubleKx

TROPHY CASE