My question is: Applicable to both US and Canada QUESTION: Hi David, You mention in a past column you charge between 750-to 1200 for dual (US and Canadian tax returns). I was wondering does this fee have to be paid immediately or can it be taken out of the return if there is a credit? Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- david ingram replies: The figure quoted for the last year was $750 to $1,500 Canadian I have recently raised it to $800 to $2,000 because of the increased reporting of Canadian RRSP and other foreign accounts to the US IRS and Department of the Treasury. I do not require it to be paid in advance and usually send a bill with the return. I can be paid by Visa, AMEX, MC, cheque, cash, check or money order. Personal consultations are $400.00 per hour in person or by phone. I also have a $300 CDN per half hour fee for phone consultations. This was only added in September. I also have noted that I charge more for talking about tax matters than for actually preparing the returns. I have NO exploratory interviews. The most inefficient use of my time is to come and spend an hour talking and THEN give me the returns to do. You will be charged for the hour Plus the preparation. If we just start off with the preparation, the conversation usually ends up inside the preparation charge. I am the only person who regularly deals with both immigration AND income tax matters for both countries. However, regular readers will recognize that I usually refer US Immigration matters to US attorneys who are members of the AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association. I hate to say it but I started doing US / Canadian income tax returns in 1963. This is my 42nd year in this business. And, I do not think that the fees are out of line. Joe Grasmick at www.grasmick.com charges about $300 US per half hour for a phone consultation and a $1,500 fee to a client last week was accepted gratefully because she had paid $3,700 US to a big Five Accounting firm last year. In general I am cheaper than a large firm because we do not have the problem of the US preparer having to talk to the Canadian preparer for two hours while they decide what to do. Answers to this and other similar questions can be obtained free on Air every Sunday morning. Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, I, david ingram am a permanent guest on Fred Snyder of Dundee Wealth Managers' LIVE talk show called "ITS YOUR MONEY" Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the internet at www.600AM.com <http://www.600am.com/> Call (604) 280-0600 to have your question answered. BC listeners can also call 1-866-778-0600. Callers to the show and questioners on this board can also attend the Thursday Night seminars on finance and making your Canadian Mortgage Interest deductible. David Ingram's US/Canada Services US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists US / Canada Real Estate Specialists Home office at: 4466 Prospect Road North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7 Cell (604) 657-8451 - (604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325 Calls welcomed from 9 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week (please do not fax or phone outside of those hours as this is a home office) email to taxman at centa.com <mailto:taxman at centa.com> www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> www.david-ingram.com <http://www.david-ingram.com/> 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 in connection with personal or business affairs such as at www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com> . If you forward this message, this disclaimer must be included." Be ALERT, the world needs more "lerts" This from "ask an income tax and immigration expert" from www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> or www.jurock.com <http://www.jurock.com/> or www.featureweb.com <http://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, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, Morocco, Israel, Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Bangkok, Greenland, Iceland, Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada,, Virgin Islands, US, UK, GB, and any of the 43 states with state tax returns, etc. Rockwall, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston Texas Denmark, Finland, Sweden Norway Bulgaria Croatia Income Tax and Immigration Tips, Income Tax and Immigration Wizard Income Tax and Immigration Guru Income Tax and Immigration Consultant Income Tax and Immigration Specialist Section 216(4) 216(1) NR6 NR-6 NR 6 Non-Resident Real Estate tax specialist expert preparer consultant expatriate anti money laundering money seasoning FINTRAC E677 E667 105 106 TDF-90 Reporting $10,000 cross border transactions Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Garland, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rockwall, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec City, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon and Northwest and Nunavit Territories, Mount Vernon, Eumenclaw, Coos Bay and Dallas Houston Rockwall Garland Texas Taxman and Tax Guru and wizzard wizard - consultant - expert - advisor -advisors consultants - gurus - Paris Prague Moscow Berlin Lima Rio de Janeiro, Santaigo New York, Boston, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Salem, Wheeling, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Pensacola, Miami, St Petersburg, Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Orlando, Atlanta, Arlington, Washington, Hudson, Green Bay, Minot, Portland, Seattle, St John, St John's, Fredericton, Quebec, Moncton, Truro, Atlanta, Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Taos, Grand Canyon, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sun City, Tulsa, Monteray, Carmel, Morgantown, Bemidji, Sandpointe, Pocatello, Bellingham, Custer, Grand Forks, Lead, Rapid City, Mitchell, Kansas City, Lawrence, Houston, Albany, Framingham, Cambridge, London, Paris, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Whitehorse, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Frankfurt, The Hague, Lisbon, Madrid, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Key West, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers, Berlin, Warsaw, Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Maui, Kuwait, Molokai, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Manilla, Kent, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Red Deer, Olds, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, Brandon, Portage La Prairie, Davidson, Craik, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Munich, Sydney, Nanaimo, Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Athens, Rome, Berne, Zurich, Kyoto, Nanking, Rio De Janeiro, Brasilia, Colombo, Buenos Aries, Squamish, Churchill, Lima, Santiago, Abbotsford, Cologne, Yorkshire, Hope, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Fort MacLeod, Deer Lodge, Springfield, St Louis, Centralia, Bradford, Stratford on Avon, Niagara Falls, Atlin, Fort Nelson, Fort St James, Red Deer, Drumheller, Fortune, Red Bank, Marystown, Cape Spears, Truro, Charlottetown, Summerside, Niagara Falls, Albany STAR WARS Hope this helps. ask international income tax & immigration expert consultant david ingram from North Vancouver, BC, Canada experts on RRSP RESP IRA 401(K) radio CKBD 600AM 9 AM Sunday mornings on Fred Snyder's IT's YOUR MONEY
