Cross-Border Tax · Guide
US tax preparation from Canada: 1040, 1040NR, FBAR, and state returns
We prepare US tax returns for people living in Canada — 1040s for US citizens and green-card holders, 1040NRs for Canadians with US income, plus FBAR and state filings — and we prepare them alongside the Canadian T1 so the two returns credit each other properly instead of taxing the same dollar twice. One team, both countries, a fixed quote before work starts.
By the AnalytIQ Accounting team · Last reviewed: August 12, 2026
Who needs a US return while living in Canada
More people than assume it. The US taxes by citizenship, not just residence, and it taxes non-residents on US-source income — so a US filing obligation can follow you to Canada or arise without your ever leaving it:
- US citizens and green-card holders in Canada — a Form 1040 on worldwide income, every year, for life, even if every dollar was earned in Canada and fully taxed here. Dual citizens who have never lived in the US are included.
- Canadians with US income — a US rental property, wages for days worked in the US, US business or partnership income, or the sale of US real estate generally means a Form 1040NR.
- Snowbirds — enough winters in the south and the substantial presence test treats you as a US resident unless you file Form 8840 to claim your closer connection to Canada.
- Cross-border workers and TN visa holders — a W-2 from a US employer plus Canadian residence means two returns that must agree on who taxes what first.
What we prepare
Everything the US side of your file needs, matched to your situation rather than sold as a bundle:
- Form 1040 with the expat toolkit — foreign tax credits (Form 1116), the foreign earned income exclusion (Form 2555) where it helps, treaty positions (Form 8833), and FATCA reporting (Form 8938)
- Form 1040NR for non-residents — including the net-rental election for US rental owners and FIRPTA filings when US property sells
- FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) — required once non-US accounts, including RRSPs and TFSAs, top US$10,000 combined
- State returns — California, New York, Arizona, Florida-adjacent states with income tax; state rules ignore the treaty more often than people expect
- Corporate and information forms where they attach — Form 5471 for Canadian corporations owned by US persons, Form 8840 for snowbirds, ITIN applications, and amended returns to fix prior years
Behind on several years? That is common and fixable — usually through the IRS streamlined program, which we cover in our streamlined filing guide.
Why one team should prepare both countries
Most cross-border errors are not mistakes on a form — they are two competent preparers who never spoke. The US preparer assumes Canada will credit the US tax; the Canadian preparer assumes the opposite; the same income gets taxed twice, or a credit strands because the sourcing on one return contradicts the other. Preparing the 1040 or 1040NR and the T1 together means the foreign tax credits are computed in the right order, income is sourced consistently on both filings, RRSP treaty deferrals and TFSA reporting are handled the way the US return expects, and the two returns tell one story if either tax authority ever asks.
How the process works
It runs the same way every year, which is the point:
- Discovery call. We establish which obligations actually apply to you — citizenship, income sources, day counts, accounts — and quote the work before it starts.
- One document checklist. Slips and statements from both countries collected once, through a secure portal, not two parallel requests.
- Both returns drafted together. US and Canadian filings are prepared as one engagement so every credit and election is decided with both returns on the table.
- Review, then file. We walk you through the results in plain language, then e-file what can be e-filed and handle the rest.
Deadlines are part of the choreography: the US return is due April 15, with an automatic two-month extension to June 15 for filers abroad and a further extension to October 15 on request — though interest on any balance runs from April 15. The FBAR is due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15. The Canadian T1 is due April 30, or June 15 for the self-employed. We calendar all of it so nothing files out of order.
What it costs
Cross-border preparation is quoted as a fixed fee after the discovery call, based on which forms your file actually needs — a single 1040NR for one rental is a very different engagement from a dual citizen with a corporation on each side of the border. How our pricing is structured, and what drives it up or down, is laid out on our cross-border tax accountant fees page, so you can see the shape of the cost before you ever book a call.
Common questions.
I am a US citizen but have only ever filed Canadian returns. What now?
You are years behind on US filings, and the IRS knows this situation well — the streamlined program exists for exactly it. For those living outside the US it pairs three years of returns and six years of FBARs with no penalty. We prepare the whole package; do not file a single catch-up year on its own first.
Do you prepare both my Canadian and US returns?
Yes — that is the core of the service. One team prepares the T1 and the 1040 or 1040NR together, so foreign tax credits, income sourcing, and treaty positions are decided once, consistently, instead of assumed by two preparers who never compare notes.
When is a US return filed from Canada actually due?
April 15 is the baseline. Living outside the US gives an automatic extension to June 15, and a further extension to October 15 is available on request — but interest on any US balance owing still runs from April 15, so we calculate and pay early even when filing later. The FBAR extends automatically to October 15.
Related reading
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