I have a question concerning a US joint savings/checking accounts between myself (a USC) living in Canada and my Canadian husband.
I've read that a joint savings account and checking account are two types of accounts that often lead to joint account tax. My Credit Union in the US sends the tax statement to me, the primary account holder. I report the income earned on both my CDN and US tax returns. My US filing status is "married, separate" but what about my husband? Should he be reporting 1/2 of interest gained on his CDN return?
US joint savings/checking accounts taxation
Moderator: Mark T Serbinski CA CPA
Canada wants the tax paid by the original contributor of the funds, regardless of the ownership of the accounts (joint). If you were the original contributor of the funds (you're the US citizen, the account is a US one), then it would be correct for you to report the interest only on your CDN return, and none on your husband's.
My wife and I (dual citizens, CDN residents) maintain two investment accounts in Canada, both with joint ownership to make inheritance simple. However, one of these was formed from my money and the other from hers; new contributions (e.g., IRA withdrawals moved across the border) go into the appropriate account. For Canada, we report interest, dividends, capital gains on each account according to the original contributor of the funds; for the US, we file jointly so it doesn't matter.
The purpose of this, since Canada does not have married filing jointly, is to prohibit transferring income to a lower income spouse by gift of funds. It can get complicated. For example, Tom gives Mary $100,000 and they are lucky to invest it at 10% (to make calcs simple). The first year Tom pays the tax on the $10,000 income earned by Mary on the original amount. The second year, the account is $110,000 and earns $11,000 income. Tom pays again the second year on $10,000 of it (due to the original gift), but Mary pays the tax on the additional $1,000 (the interest on the interest is her income).
My wife and I (dual citizens, CDN residents) maintain two investment accounts in Canada, both with joint ownership to make inheritance simple. However, one of these was formed from my money and the other from hers; new contributions (e.g., IRA withdrawals moved across the border) go into the appropriate account. For Canada, we report interest, dividends, capital gains on each account according to the original contributor of the funds; for the US, we file jointly so it doesn't matter.
The purpose of this, since Canada does not have married filing jointly, is to prohibit transferring income to a lower income spouse by gift of funds. It can get complicated. For example, Tom gives Mary $100,000 and they are lucky to invest it at 10% (to make calcs simple). The first year Tom pays the tax on the $10,000 income earned by Mary on the original amount. The second year, the account is $110,000 and earns $11,000 income. Tom pays again the second year on $10,000 of it (due to the original gift), but Mary pays the tax on the additional $1,000 (the interest on the interest is her income).
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I'm glad I can chalk that one up to my doing things the right way.
It's not easy trying to figure out the complex tax rules and reporting requirements of USC living in Canada, especially when the US embassy has stopped offering a tax advisor, the "affordable" tax preparers here know less than me, and the "expert" advisors cost way more than any interest I ever earned in any account.
It's not easy trying to figure out the complex tax rules and reporting requirements of USC living in Canada, especially when the US embassy has stopped offering a tax advisor, the "affordable" tax preparers here know less than me, and the "expert" advisors cost way more than any interest I ever earned in any account.
With this type of arrangement, the key is to maintain the two accounts so that attributed income and non-attributed income are accounted for separately as was stated above income attribution will not apply on teh seconadary stream of interest generated from a loan to a spouse but you should maintain a seperate bank account to show the seperation of teh secondary stream.
JG