Insights

The international US tax rules, explained plainly

Guides written by our team on the questions cross-border clients actually ask. Informational only — not tax advice — and reviewed for accuracy before publication.

US–Canada Jun 1, 2026

Canadians Owning US Real Estate: Rental Income, FIRPTA and the Exit

From Florida condos to Arizona rentals, Canadian owners of US property face a defined set of US filings — the 1040-NR, the net-rental election, ITINs, and FIRPTA withholding at sale. A walkthrough of the lifecycle.

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US–Asia May 25, 2026

The American in Hong Kong: A US Tax Survival Guide

Hong Kong's low, territorial tax system is a blessing locally and a complication federally. What US citizens in Hong Kong need to know about the 1040, the missing treaty, MPF accounts, and local companies.

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US–Canada May 11, 2026

TFSAs, RESPs and FHSAs: How the US Taxes Canadian Registered Accounts

Canada's favourite tax-sheltered accounts lose their shelter at the border. How the IRS treats TFSAs, RESPs, FHSAs and RRSPs in the hands of US persons — and what to do about it.

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Foreign Trusts May 4, 2026

Foreign Trusts, Forms 3520 and 3520-A: The Reporting Nobody Warns You About

Foreign trusts — and arrangements the US treats as foreign trusts — carry some of the steepest automatic penalties in the tax code, and they reach inheritances, gifts and pension plans ordinary families never thought of as trusts.

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Businesses & Entities Apr 27, 2026

The Foreign-Owned US LLC: Form 5472 and the $25,000 Mistake

Non-US founders and investors love the Delaware LLC — easy to form, cheap to run, and often tax-free. What the formation websites omit: an annual Form 5472 filing with a US$25,000 penalty for silence.

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US–Canada Apr 20, 2026

US Citizens Living in Canada: What You Still Owe the IRS

A plain-language overview of the US filing obligations that follow American citizens and green card holders to Canada — the annual return, the FBAR, and the traps hiding inside ordinary Canadian accounts.

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US–Asia Apr 6, 2026

Moving to the US from Asia: Pre-Immigration Tax Planning That Actually Works

For families moving from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan or Singapore to the United States, the months before US residency begins are a one-time planning window. What closes on day one — and what to do while it is still open.

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US–Canada Mar 30, 2026

Canadians Moving to the US: The Pre-Move Tax Checklist

The most valuable US tax planning for Canadians happens before the moving truck arrives. Residency start dates, departure tax, RRSPs and TFSAs, and the elections that expire the day you become a US resident.

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Businesses & Entities Mar 16, 2026

Form 5471: When Your Foreign Company Becomes the IRS's Business

US persons who own foreign corporations — a Hong Kong limited, a Canadian CCPC, a Singapore Pte Ltd — face Form 5471 reporting and the CFC anti-deferral rules. What triggers the filing, what it costs to miss, and the elections that help.

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Compliance & Reporting Mar 9, 2026

The Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures: A Clean Way Back

Years behind on US tax filings while living abroad? The IRS streamlined procedures let non-willful taxpayers catch up with three years of returns and six years of FBARs — often with no penalty at all. Here is how they work.

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Compliance & Reporting Feb 16, 2026

FBAR vs Form 8938: Two Reports, One Set of Accounts

The FBAR and Form 8938 both report foreign financial accounts, are filed under different laws, on different forms, with different thresholds — and filing one does not satisfy the other. A side-by-side guide.

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Individuals & Expats Feb 2, 2026

PFICs: Why Americans Abroad Should Fear Ordinary Mutual Funds

The passive foreign investment company rules turn everyday non-US mutual funds and ETFs into the most punitively taxed assets an American can own. How to recognise a PFIC, what it costs, and the elections that defuse it.

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Individuals & Expats Jan 26, 2026

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion vs Foreign Tax Credit: Choosing Your Weapon

Americans abroad have two main tools against double taxation — the FEIE and the foreign tax credit. The right choice depends on where you live, what you earn, and what you plan next. A practical comparison.

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The international US tax rules, explained plainly

Canadians Owning US Real Estate: Rental Income, FIRPTA and the Exit

The American in Hong Kong: A US Tax Survival Guide

TFSAs, RESPs and FHSAs: How the US Taxes Canadian Registered Accounts

Foreign Trusts, Forms 3520 and 3520-A: The Reporting Nobody Warns You About

The Foreign-Owned US LLC: Form 5472 and the $25,000 Mistake

US Citizens Living in Canada: What You Still Owe the IRS

Moving to the US from Asia: Pre-Immigration Tax Planning That Actually Works

Canadians Moving to the US: The Pre-Move Tax Checklist

Form 5471: When Your Foreign Company Becomes the IRS's Business

The Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures: A Clean Way Back

FBAR vs Form 8938: Two Reports, One Set of Accounts

PFICs: Why Americans Abroad Should Fear Ordinary Mutual Funds

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion vs Foreign Tax Credit: Choosing Your Weapon

Reading is a start. A conversation is better.

LCW Tax Advisory