Slightly weird question.....
Moderator: Mark T Serbinski CA CPA
Slightly weird question.....
I am starting a five-year consulting agreement with a Canadian organization in January. I am a dual citizen and have resided (for the past 20 years), and will continue to reside, in the US. This consulting work will entail monthly 1-week visits on site with the remainder of the work done from a home office in the US. My question actually relates to immigration and airport border crossings. I am always 100% honest with all customs agents. However, I'd sort of like to know what to expect when I have to truthfully answer the question that I've probably been posed 100 times before, i.e., "are you getting paid for the consulting work that you'll be doing?". There's clearly nothing illegal in what I'm doing, but I'd like to know whether this is going to raise 1,000 bells and whistles in their heads and be a royal pain in the rear for me. I have applied for the NEXUS card, which hopefully will make things easier but I probably won't get that until February. Thanks for any thoughts or stories. Always better to be prepared, I suppose....
I don't know how you would have answered anything but "yes" on all previous times the question is posed, and why you would think that your anwser (a) should change now, and (b) could ever have been 'no'?
You are a dul citizen, and the treaty, not a CBSA officer, wll determine your tax regime (which will remain US-only, btw).
I put this question in the same category as when CBSA officer asks "did you buy anything", when one returns from outlet shopping. To answer anything but 'yes', is a lie, and then they dig a little deeper.
I trust that you have always answered 'yes', so you have nothing to worry about now, since nothing is changing.
You are a dul citizen, and the treaty, not a CBSA officer, wll determine your tax regime (which will remain US-only, btw).
I put this question in the same category as when CBSA officer asks "did you buy anything", when one returns from outlet shopping. To answer anything but 'yes', is a lie, and then they dig a little deeper.
I trust that you have always answered 'yes', so you have nothing to worry about now, since nothing is changing.
nelsona non grata. Non pro. Please Search previous posts, no situation is unique as you might think. Happy Browsing 
[quote="nelsona"]I don't know how you would have answered anything but "yes" on all previous times the question is posed, and why you would think that your anwser (a) should change now, and (b) could ever have been 'no'?
You are a dul citizen, and the treaty, not a CBSA officer, wll determine your tax regime (which will remain US-only, btw).
I put this question in the same category as when CBSA officer asks "did you buy anything", when one returns from outlet shopping. To answer anything but 'yes', is a lie, and then they dig a little deeper.
I trust that you have always answered 'yes', so you have nothing to worry about now, since nothing is changing.[/quote]
Thanks Nelsona. I have never previously been paid to do consulting in Canada, as I was doing it as a professional courtesy (as a committee member). I understand all the tax implications, so my simple question was just to get a sense of whether a visit to one of their back offices would be [i]de rigueur [/i]under this arrangement, every time I land on Canadian soil. And yes, I'm always honest when it comes to all these situations.
You are a dul citizen, and the treaty, not a CBSA officer, wll determine your tax regime (which will remain US-only, btw).
I put this question in the same category as when CBSA officer asks "did you buy anything", when one returns from outlet shopping. To answer anything but 'yes', is a lie, and then they dig a little deeper.
I trust that you have always answered 'yes', so you have nothing to worry about now, since nothing is changing.[/quote]
Thanks Nelsona. I have never previously been paid to do consulting in Canada, as I was doing it as a professional courtesy (as a committee member). I understand all the tax implications, so my simple question was just to get a sense of whether a visit to one of their back offices would be [i]de rigueur [/i]under this arrangement, every time I land on Canadian soil. And yes, I'm always honest when it comes to all these situations.
correct. canada does not insist that non-resident citizens enter on cdn passport, but since the person will be working (even though he technically does not need any Cdn status to do the work he describes), the Cdn passport will remove any doubt.
US on the other hand INSISTS all its citizens identify themselves as exclusively as USC's when dealing with their govt.
US on the other hand INSISTS all its citizens identify themselves as exclusively as USC's when dealing with their govt.
nelsona non grata. Non pro. Please Search previous posts, no situation is unique as you might think. Happy Browsing
when you enter US with your US passort after visiting Canada with your Canadian passort, your US passport would have no record of entry to a foregin country.
I just wonder how would you tell US Immigration and Customs service when you enter this country ? There is no any foregin country visiting record on the passport.
Just wondering the logic..
I just wonder how would you tell US Immigration and Customs service when you enter this country ? There is no any foregin country visiting record on the passport.
Just wondering the logic..