Did You Know? aka Little Tidbits that may be of interest to our members...
Approximately $1 million in
goods and services cross the Canada/U.S. border every minute of every day.
NEXUS
Amends Three-Year Residency Requirement
July 11, 2012
The Canada Border Services
Agency (CBSA) announced today that Canada and the United States are continuing
to deliver on key commitments under the Beyond the Border Action Plan. Effective
June 30, 2012, the CBSA lifted the three-year residency requirement for Canadian
and United States citizens to apply to NEXUS.
By amending the three-year residency requirement, the CBSA is extending NEXUS
membership eligibility to citizens of Canada or the United States currently
residing abroad, or who have recently returned to Canada or the United
States.
Air
Force One Turned Canadian Forest Firefighter
July 10, 2012
Saskatchewan Environment
Ministry’s custom-refurbished Convair C-131H, painted in the official
provincial colours of green and white and known in this country as Tanker 475,
was once identified by the most auspicious call sign in the world: Air Force
One.
The plane was purchased by the Saskatchewan government for a reported $10
million in order to be used as a flagship in its provincial firefighting forces.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/sth-eng.html
and
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/p151/p151-11e.pdf
Did you know that you can claim your medical insurance on your taxes?
If CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) rejected your claim, try again. Apparently, according to the Canadian Snowbird Association, you can claim this cost now. In the past, you could only claim the portion of the insurance that were of a medical nature. In the Canadian Snowbird Assn.’s Fall Issue, First Vice President Ron Stevens, in his Government Relations Report states that CSA officials met in the spring with senior staff in the offices of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Minister of National Revenue Gail Shea. They reported that they have instructed their auditors to ensure that purchasers of travel medical insurance remain eligible for the medical expense tax credit.
The Canada Revenue Agency has agreed to simply accept all travel insurance medical travel plans as 100% eligible, to avoid the hassle of having to go back to your insurance provider and request a detailed breakdown.
Did you know that it is illegal for Canadians to give their SIN number to any US entity .
(as per pg. 37, Border Guide and confirmed by Regional Consultant, Ivestigative Services, Belleville, ON and Canadian Snowbird Association)
Get an IRS-ITIN number (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) to use when you have to pay tax or do banking in the USA.
Get a W-7 form online and complete it to get an IRS-ITIN number. Available at:
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Individual-Taxpayer-Identification-Number-%28ITIN%29
