Guide to U.S. Estate Taxes for Canadians

“Death and taxes – two sure things in life.Did you know that even if you’re resident in Canada when you die, if you own property in the U.S. you may be subject to U.S. estate tax?” Perhaps you have some beachfront property down south, or you might own some assets used in a U.S. business activity. It is quite likely that for diversification purposes you hold U.S. securities within your Canadian brokerage account. Many Canadians are unaware that for U.S. estate tax purposes, these types of property are taxed at their fair market at death, potentially resulting in an unnecessarily large tax bill without the proper planning.

Accounting and tax advisory firm, BDO, has put together a brief but very useful guide covering U.S. Estate Tax Issues for Canadians. It provides an overview of how U.S. estates taxes work for Canadians, various exemptions and treaty relief, and also highlights some estate planning ideas to minimize U.S. estate tax liability. Click here to view.