Serbinski Accounting Firms

OK - I see it now. It's line 70 on the 2008 1040. Do you think I can file an amended return to claim it?

Ah - I just found it, line 70 on the 1040. I'll have to check to see if the accountant I hired filled this in. I wonder if I can file an amended return to claim it?

This is great! Did you know about this program when you filed? ie. was there some box to check off?
I back filed 6 years in November of 2011 - I'm hoping I get the same sweet deal!

Hi CdnAmerican,

I think you're right. I'm probably making this way more complicated than it needs to be. I've revised my forms and only mentioned funds that I've added and taken out. Besides - they are Cdn mutual funds anyway, so once I apply the PFIC market to market election, it becomes simple ...

Hi Again - Nanic makes a good point. I've been using software ever since getting hit with that big bill. I recently discovered "TaxACT" software. It is less expensive ($13), but not as user friendly as Turbotax. But, if you have a non-resident alien spouse, TaxACT lets you efile without having an ...

Hi - I ran into the same problem. I called Fidelity Investments (Canada) and they didn't know what I was talking about with regards to an EIN number, and they didn't know who in their organization could help me. I did manage to get their EIN number by googling the relevant terms, and I tracked down ...

Hello - I paid $500 per tax year - and this was to do 6 years of back-filing (ie. $3k). These were not complicated returns, and it included the tax return, and the FBAR filings. I thought this was too much at first, then found out that the "going rate" was $750 per return. It would be good to get ...

This thread has been very helpful - thanks to all involved!

I have a question and welcome comments - How are automatic re-invested dividend and interest distributions treated? I've been claiming a "distribution" then showing a "contribution" to the trust on the same day. I can see why it might not ...

Just re-read my post and thought something might not be clear:
Do the pension income splitting on your Canadian return, then file jointly on the US return.
Regards.

I think the best way to treat this situation is to file a joint return with your spouse. As I'm sure you're aware, the benefit of pension income splitting is that you minimize your income liability by moving income from a higher earner (in a higher bracket) to the lower earner. The US system lets ...

Hi - according to the rules, this individual is considered a US citizen. Has this person kept a current US passport, and does he/she have a social security number?

Another thing to consider - if on the Canadian passport it shows a US place of birth - they will technically assume US citizenship ...

Hi - My accountant said that the IRS does not distinguish between LIRA-RRSPs and RRSPs. On form 8891 simply check the RRSP box (RRIF only if you have retired and have rolled it into an annuity), then indicate in the account number box that it's a LIRA. Ie - 12345678-LIRA as the account number.

I ...

Hi - I certainly don't have the answers to all of your questions:
To receive a foreign tax credit for foreign source income, you need T2209 from the CRA.
Regarding status as a dependent - In Canada you can only claim the "spouse amount" once - even if you have another dependent relative living with ...