Issue: USC filing US Bankruptcy as P.R. in Canada

This is our main tax information forum which deals with topics concerning Canadians living and working in the U.S., U.S. citizens contemplating working in Canada, and all aspects of Canadian and U.S. income tax and related adminstrative issues.

Moderator: Mark T Serbinski CA CPA

Post Reply
usc-in-canada
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:55 pm

Issue: USC filing US Bankruptcy as P.R. in Canada

Post by usc-in-canada »

I'm a US Citizen living as a PR in Canada for last few years (family sponsorship). I kept pace with the payments on my massive US credit card debt... until earlier this year. It is looking like filing BK might be my only option.

Profile: All my debts are US Credit cards (fallout from a remodel / resale of our former US primary residence that lost 35% of its value). I have no assets in either place except for one: my very old self-directed IRA owns a small percentage of a FourPlex, which is almost impossible to sell. I own no property. I’m self employed, get paid by US sources in US dollars. We live a simple no asset, no retirement, debt-free life here in Canada. I report all income, file Cdn taxes, then US each year.

These are my questions:

1- can I file BK in any US state, like the closest state for me to drive to? Or do I have to file in the state I last lived in or owned property in?
2- is it best (or required) to update all the creditors that I live in Canada now? Or keep using the paperless US PMB that scans mail to me by email?. I prefer the US PMB as its paperless and more reliable, because US firms notoriously goof up Canadian postal addresses.
3- Will a US BK affect my Canadian credit, like eventual ability to qualify for car or house? We don’t use much here at the moment, just have 2 new cards, with zero balances.
4- any other cross border issues I need to be tracking?
Post Reply