US government stimulus check

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nelsona
Posts: 18314
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:33 pm
Location: Nowhere, man

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by nelsona »

You need to file in US for 2019. DO that, and you will get the check.
nelsona non grata. Non pro. Please Search previous posts, no situation is unique as you might think. Happy Browsing :D
Ron.Henderson
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Ron.Henderson »

Grad467_2
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2020 6:57 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Grad467_2 »

nelsona wrote:
> You need to file in US for 2019. DO that, and you will get the check.
Thank you
MaggieA
Posts: 150
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:06 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by MaggieA »

It seems that the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment doesn't work for foreign addresses. This would be consistent with other IRS tools as described here https://www.irs.gov/individuals/taxpaye ... mataddress

It's TBD whether the IRS will actually mail checks to foreign addresses.
Ron.Henderson
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Ron.Henderson »

I'm definitely seeing reports of expats receiving the money this week, but obviously those with direct deposit to a US account already set up.
MaggieA
Posts: 150
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:06 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by MaggieA »

According to Democrats Abroad Taxation blog, the Get My Payment tool requires a 5 digit US zip code, despite a misleading message that implies non-US postal codes are accepted. Non US codes are not accepted, neither is leaving the field empty, so for those of us who file with our non-US address, there is no way to use this tool to register a bank account.

My 2019 return did include US bank details, but that was for paying taxes owed, not getting a refund. According to other sources, the IRS will not use the bank account provided for withdrawing a payment, as the one to receive a stimulus payment. Taxpayers only get the stimulus payment automatically in their bank account if their most recent return resulted in a refund to a US bank account.
Ron.Henderson
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Ron.Henderson »

An entirely predictable ******-show with no actual thought given to non-resident US taxpayers, in other words. Some will get money by direct deposit (or already have); some may receive a check in the mail months down the road; others will get nothing.
Ron.Henderson
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Ron.Henderson »

To wit, reports emerging of former foreign students who left the US - so neither citizens nor residents - discovering $1200 in the bank accounts they left behind, presumably due to having filed 2018 returns. What a pleasant surprise. Well done, US government!
Bubba Gums
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:20 am

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Bubba Gums »

I know the stimulus check is not taxable in the US. Would it be taxable in Canada?
Redpen
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:27 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Redpen »

Bubba Gums wrote:
> I know the stimulus check is not taxable in the US. Would it be taxable in
> Canada?

Seeing how Canada taxes on worldwide income, I would say technically, yes. However, I believe it's going to be up to the taxpayer to be honest about it as there won't be a paper trail on the Canadian side.
Redpen
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:27 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Redpen »

Grad467_2 wrote:
> Good afternoon one and all. Came across this forum after doing a number of
> searches while getting information to file both my US and Canadian tax
> return for 2019 and I am extremely happy to have found it since it's been
> very helpful answering many of my Google questions. I just noticed this
> thread and I was wondering if I will be receiving a stimulus check? My
> details are below and thank you for any feedback, advice, etc:
>
> - I started working in the US in 2019 (4 months total) as a Canadian
> commuter under the TN visa program
> - I have a SSN but it is for work purposes only (stated on the card)
> - I have an account open in the US (credit union)
> - The last tax return I filed in the US was for tax year 2016 (I ended up
> taking a position in Canada for partial 2016, 2017, 2018 and partial 2019).
>
> Will I be getting a check? Any recommendations?

Check out the FAQ here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my- ... -questions

Since you have not filed for 2018 or 2019, probably not. Get the 2019 return filed and I think that should change.
Ron.Henderson
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Ron.Henderson »

Bubba Gums wrote:
> I know the stimulus check is not taxable in the US. Would it be taxable in
> Canada?

It's a tax credit, which is not income.

If you call it income and declare it, CRA will be happy to cash the cheque for taxes owed. If you don't call it income and don't declare it, CRA won't notice.

On a similar note, I wonder if anyone living in Canada who collects the child tax credit for US-citizen kids pays Canadian tax on that money.
Redpen
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:27 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Redpen »

Ron.Henderson wrote:

> It's a tax credit, which is not income.

Tax credit against US taxes, not Canadian.

> If you call it income and declare it, CRA will be happy to cash the cheque for taxes
> owed. If you don't call it income and don't declare it, CRA won't notice.

You're the kind who likes to take payments under table to avoid claiming income and filing HST, right? I'll be happy to be told I'm wrong, but not by you.
Ron.Henderson
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by Ron.Henderson »

Actually no. My point is simply that not every amount of money received is somehow automatically considered taxable income. It's a bit of a stretch to call one country's tax credit another country's taxable income. Though the argument is completely moot since, as you said, there's no paper trail.
nelsona
Posts: 18314
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:33 pm
Location: Nowhere, man

Re: US government stimulus check

Post by nelsona »

Bubba, the way the child tax credit works, it is a reduction in US tax, thus it reduces your foreign tax credit, as Canada views it.

The stimulus, at least how in worked the last time, was structured such that it did not reduce your tax on your 1040 (unless you had not received it). There will be a separate form on which you will state you got your check, and your tax return will look the same as 2019.

If you don't get the check, they treat the stimulus like a tax payment (like extra withholding) thus not reducing your tax bill. The reason they do this, is so that states -- which give a deduction for fed income tax -- don't reduce the deduction by the stimulus amount, and effectively tax the stimulus.
nelsona non grata. Non pro. Please Search previous posts, no situation is unique as you might think. Happy Browsing :D
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