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Cross-Border Tax Accountant for the US and Canada
Short answer: A cross-border tax accountant for the US side of your taxes prepares your Form 1040 and the foreign reporting that goes with it. We do that for Americans in Canada, remotely, with an Enrolled Agent signing. We do not prepare Canadian returns.
Key takeaways
We prepare the US side only: Form 1040, Form 2555 or Form 1116, FBAR and Form 8938. Canadian returns need a separate preparer.
A US citizen or green-card holder in Canada files under the same rules as someone in the US.
Living abroad gives you more time to file, not more time to pay.
If you are behind, the streamlined procedures may fit, but only for non-willful failures.
Your location in Canada does not matter, because the work is remote.
Who this is for
Americans living in Canada, for work, family or retirement.
Dual citizens who hold a US passport.
Green-card holders in Canada. A green-card holder is a US resident alien, taxed on worldwide income like a citizen.
Canadians who own a US LLC or need a US tax ID for US income or a US business.
Clients in Canada also ask about Canadian savings accounts, Canadian pensions and the tax treaty. We state no rules on those here; we review them case by case at the free review.
The US filings an American in Canada usually has
Form 1040. The IRS says the rules are generally the same whether you live in the US or abroad. For tax year 2025, a single filer under 65 generally must file at $15,750 of gross income, and income you can exclude still counts toward that test. If you are self-employed, you must file when net earnings from self-employment reach $400.
Form 2555 or Form 1116. The foreign earned income exclusion (Form 2555) needs a foreign tax home plus either the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test, which is 330 full days abroad in any 12 consecutive months. The maximum is $130,000 for tax year 2025. The foreign tax credit (Form 1116) is the other route. You cannot take a credit for foreign tax on income you exclude, so we compare both.
FBAR. Due if your foreign financial accounts together went over $10,000 at any time in the year. It goes to FinCEN, not with your return.
Form 8938. Separate from the FBAR and attached to your return. Living abroad, a single filer's thresholds are more than $200,000 on the last day of the year or more than $300,000 at any time.
Due dates. April 15, with an automatic extension to June 15 if you live and have your main place of business outside the US. Interest still runs from April 15, and Form 4868 extends filing to October 15 but not payment. The FBAR extends automatically to October 15.
Canadians with a US LLC. A US disregarded entity wholly owned by a foreign person has no income tax return duty, but with reportable transactions it files a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472. Owner contributions and draws count, and the package is faxed or mailed, not e-filed. If you cannot get a Social Security number, an ITIN may apply, with about 7 weeks for a notice.
If you are behind on US taxes
Many Americans in Canada were never told they had to file. Streamlined Foreign Offshore means three years of returns, six years of FBARs, and payment of the tax and interest. The IRS states these filers are not subject to failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties unless an exam finds fraud or a willful FBAR violation. Under a civil exam or criminal investigation you are ineligible, so call us before filing. Read the streamlined guide.
What we do and what we do not do
We do: prepare your US Form 1040 with Form 2555 or Form 1116, your FBAR and Form 8938 reporting, and US filings for a foreign-owned US LLC; bring late US years current; and have an Enrolled Agent sign. Sabih Shafi can represent you before the IRS.
We do not: prepare Canadian returns, advise on Canadian tax law, or file with a Canadian tax authority. If a US decision depends on a Canadian number, we use the figure your Canadian preparer gives us.
The US and Canada have a Social Security totalization agreement in force. Such agreements eliminate dual social security coverage and taxation. Which system covers you depends on how you work, and we go through it at the review.
Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary or anywhere
Location changes nothing. You send documents electronically, we talk by phone, and returns with a foreign address can be e-filed. We serve Americans in all 50 states and abroad, in English or Spanish. Los Angeles is only our base.
How to choose a cross-border preparer
Licensed? An Enrolled Agent is federally licensed by the IRS. Verify at https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf.
Clear on limits? A good preparer says what the US side covers and what it does not.
Who signs? Ask whether a credentialed professional signs your return.
Flat fee in writing? Avoid anyone promising a refund or result before seeing your documents.
How to start
Call or text (323) 900-0305, or book your free 20-minute review. You see a flat fee in writing before any work starts.
General information, not tax advice for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you prepare Canadian tax returns?
No. We prepare the US side only, so you need a separate preparer for Canadian returns.
I pay tax in Canada. Do I still file a US return?
Usually yes, if your worldwide gross income is above the filing threshold. Foreign tax does not remove the filing duty, but the exclusion or credit may reduce your US tax.
Do I need both an FBAR and Form 8938?
Possibly. They have different thresholds and filing places, and one does not replace the other. We check both.
I am a Canadian with a US LLC. Do I file anything?
Possibly, if the LLC has reportable transactions. We review your facts at the free review.
Can you help with my Canadian pension or savings accounts?
We review them case by case at the free review. We do not give advice on Canadian law.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Sabih Shafi, EA
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Talk to an Enrolled Agent
This article is general information, not individual tax advice. If you want to talk through your own IRS or state balance, book a free 20-minute review or call or text us directly.
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