Visa-less Work? -
QUESTION:
If I were to buy U.S.vacation property with a friend would I be allowed to do repairs and or renovations? What percentage must I own? I am English born, Canadian raised but not a Canadian Citizen. Or must I have a Visa or Permit? What if i were to buy into a Partnership?
david ingram replies:
Take out your Canadian citizenship before its lack causes you problems. Look at Lord Black's problems.
If you buy it with a friend or two or three and there are just the two or three or four of you sharing the space, and you NEVER - EVER EVER rent it out or use it for business purposes, and you are all equally involved, you can buy a vacant lot and build the whole building together. If you buy an existing building or the one you built needs it, you can remodel, fix, repair, paint, clean up or do anything else to it.
If it is a business cabin for entertaining business guests or renting, you can not even take out the garbage.
I do not think there is any number of people limited in that partnership but if there were twenty-five and you all had a couple of week's use, I would say 'no' again because it is back to being a business type of thing. You should ask the Homeland Security person at the border if you are thinking about some massive partnership or LLS type of ownership.
Another problem would certainly be where your friend buys a place and gives you 20% or 25% sweat equity for fixing it up. If that is the case, the answer is 'no' again because you are 'working' in the US for remuneration in kind.
This older question will add to the answer
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QUESTION: Hello David, I'm living in Vancouver, finally paid off the student debt but don't see myself getting into
the expensive Vancouver market. I do however like to ski and was thinking of buying an
inexpensive trailer (25k Cdn) in Maple Falls Washington.
However I'm not sure what other expensives I should expect given that it's in the US.
I'm not trying to make this an investment with a high return, but I would like to do some
handy work to it to increase the value. If I add about 10k worth of value, how would that
affect my taxes in the long term? Thanks for the advice.
---------------------------------------------- david ingram replies: One of my favourite weekends ever was in 1973 at the Chandelier (think it has a different name now) when marooned at SnowLine because of the gas shortage when one could only buy gas on odd days if your licence pklatre ende dwith an odd number and even days when it was an even number. Strangely, it was that weekend 34 years ago that lets me answer you question now. The cabin I was staying in was not a rental but was built by the fellow who owned it. When he was building it, buddies would come down and help him and one weekend, the INS raided the spot and deported a bunch of his friends for working in the US . He was fine building it because he owned it but no one else can hammer a nail, paint a board, install a sink, or carry a shingle if they are not either an owner or a legal US citizen or US resident with a green card. If your buddy is working and living inthe US with a TN, H1, O1, P1, L1 or any other visa but a green card, they cam NOT help you either. And, if you are intending to rent the trailer out 'EVER', 'you' can NOT hammer a nail, sweep the front steps or clean the toilet. Assuming you are buying this trailer on its own lot, when you go to sell, you will owe the US income tax on the profit. If it is your only pioece of real estate at that time, you will not owe Canada any tax because you can claim it as your personal residence if you have not bought another place. ------------------- However, I would far prefer that you stretched your resources to buy something in Canada to live in and combine your present rent and the payments you would have to make for the trailer to buy your home in Canada. If you can't afford a one bedroom, buy a studio. Go down to Ikea onteh Lougheed highway and look at how much they can put into a small space. Interestingly, I read the other day that Ikea has now sold enough furniture in North america that 10% of all children are conceived in an Ikea Bed. Now that is information worth knowing. Good luck ----------------------------------------
David Ingram wrote:
However, I regularly search for the words"PAYING CUSTOMER" and
always answer them first if they did not get spammed out. As an example, as I
write this on June 28th, since June 16th (12 days), my 'spammed out' box has
7,118 unread messages, my deleted box has 2630 I have actually looked at and
deleted and I have answerd 63 email questions I have answered for clients and
strangers. I have also put aside 446 messages that I am maybe going to try
and answer because they look interesting.
Calls welcomed from 10 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week Vancouver (LA) time - (please do not fax or phone outside of those hours as this is a home office)
$1,600 would be for two people with income from two countries
David Ingram expert income tax and immigration help and preparation of US Canada Mexico non-resident and cross border returns with rental dividend wages self-employed and royalty foreign tax credits family estate trust trusts income tax convention treaty
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is very unlikely that blind or unexpected email to me will
be answered. I receive anywhere from 100 to 700 unsolicited emails a
day and usually answer anywhere from 2 to 20 if they are not from existing
clients. Existing clients are advised to put their 'name and PAYING
CUSTOMER' in the subject and get answered first. I also refuse to be a
slave to email and do not look at it every day and have never ever looked at it
when i am out of town.
Therefore, if an email is not answered in 24 to 36 hours, it
is lost in space. You can try and resend it but if important, you will
have to phone to make an appointment. Gillian Bryan generally accepts
appointment requests for me between 10:30 AM and 4:00 PM Monday to Friday
VANCOUVER (Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles) time at (604) 980-0321
David Ingram's US / Canada Services
US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists
US / Canada Real Estate Specialists
My Home office is at:
David Ingram's US / Canada Services
US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists
US / Canada Real Estate Specialists
My Home office is at:
4466 Prospect Road
North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7
Cell (604) 657-8451 -
(604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325
North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7
Cell (604) 657-8451 -
(604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325
Calls welcomed from 10 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week Vancouver (LA) time - (please do not fax or phone outside of those hours as this is a home office)
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
for expert help, assistance, preparation,
or consultation in connection with personal or
business affairs such as at www.centa.com. If you forward this message, this disclaimer must be
included."
David Ingram gives expert income
tax & immigration help to non-resident Americans & Canadians from
New York to California to Mexico family,
estate, income trust trusts Cross border, dual citizen - out of
country investments are all handled with competence &
authority.
Phone consultations are $400 for 15
minutes to 50 minutes (professional hour). Please note that GST is added if
product remains in Canada or is to be returned to Canada or a phone consultation
is in Canada.
This is not intended to be definitive but in
general I am quoting $800 to $2,800 for a dual country tax return.
$800 would be one T4 slip one W2 slip one or two
interest slips and you lived in one country only - no self employment or rentals
or capital gains - you did not move into or out of the country in this
year.
$1,000 would be the same with one rental
$1,200 would be the same with one business no
rental
$1,200 would be the minimum with a move in or out
of the country. These are complicated because of the back and forth foreign tax
credits. - The IRS says a foreign tax credit takes 1 hour and 53
minutes.
$1,500 would be the minimum with a rental or two in
the country you do not live in or a rental and a business and foreign tax
credits no move in or out
$1,600 would be for two people with income from two countries
$2,800 would be all of the above and you moved in
and out of the country.
This is just a guideline for US / Canadian
returns
We will still prepare Canadian only (lives in
Canada, no US connection period) with two or three slips and no capital
gains, etc. for $150.00 up.
With a Rental for $350
A Business for $350 - Rental and business likely
$450
And an American only (lives in the US with no
Canadian income or filing period) with about the same things in the same range
with a little bit more if there is a state return.
Moving in or out of the country or part year
earnings in the US will ALWAYS be $800 and up.
TDF 90-22.1 forms are $50 for the first and $25.00
each after that when part of a tax return.
8891 forms are generally $50.00 to $100.00
each.
18 RRSPs would be $900.00 - (maybe amalgamate a
couple)
Capital gains *sales) are likely $50.00 for
the first and $20.00 each after that.
Just a guideline not etched in
stone.
This from "ask an income trusts tax and immigration expert"
from www.centa.com or www.jurock.com or 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,
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