US Born Moved/Grew Up/Worked in Canada Moved Back - Taxes

Trigger26 · Post by **Trigger26** » Wed Sep 25, 2013 4:22 pm

I was born in USA. Moved to Canada with my mom at 12. Grew up, had children, married then legally separated, now moved back in Nov 2012. Worked in USA Nov & Dec. 2012. I gave my income information to a recommended accountant. He filed my American & Canadian tax returns that only included income from their related countries. I did not know I had to file US taxes while living in Canada. Now I am planning on filing an Affidavit of Support & it asks if "I have filed a Federal tax return for each of the three most recent tax years." An explanation of this statement includes "Residence outside of the United States does not exempt US citizens or lawful permanent residents from filing a Federal income tax return."

I am now learning that I may have been required to file. Can I just give my Canadian tax return & any related papers to a US accountant & file it? I had RRSPs & then cashed them in, that sounds like it may have been a problem?
What do you mean I had to report my Foreign Bank Accounts? I don't have that information from so far back? Plus, I am not rich to afford paying thousands of dollars to get caught up. :S

Help!

nelsona · Post by **nelsona** » Wed Sep 25, 2013 4:42 pm

Your 2012 US return was filed incorrectly, and is missing LOTS of information regarding your Cdn accounts. Your Cdn return should havebeen a "deperture return", with various special forms showing that youy have left. Was it? Since the accountant did the US retunr wrong, he probably did the Cdn one wrong too.

For previous years (at leat 3 if not 6), you need to back-file many things. There are several threads on this already. You need to do this BEFORE IRS catches you, to avoid serious penalties and fines.

an accountant will drool if when you show up. Don't use the one you just used obviously.