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Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, Reading your article on Jim Flaherty makes me ask you, “Can we claim our premium for travel insurance policy on our income tax? I have paid premiums for three years now and didn’t realize that we could claim them. Also, can I claim out-of-pocket medical expenses for dentist bills which we incurred […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, Re: letter from Ken Perry. I checked my Star bill for the last two months and, sure enough, they charged me for the paper during my vacation stop. I have now cancelled my subscription. Neil Fenton, Ontario Response: Ed.: All of the newspapers are having financial difficulties as advertising dollars migrate to […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, In Arizona, snowbirds are non-primary residents and are classed as category 4 subsection 1 for property taxes, which excludes us from protection from licensed trades that go bankrupt, and from making a claim through the Registry of Arizona Contractors to their Recovery Fund. This requires a classification of 3 (primary residence). So […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, In your always informative Editor’s notes in the Summer 2013 issue, you mentioned that snowbird visitors are not allowed to work in the U.S. Is this different than for any other Canadian? For example, what about Canadians who give the occasional speech or lead a workshop at a conference in the U.S., […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, Per page 37 from Border Guide, and confirmed by Regional Consultant, Investigative Services, Belleville, Ont., it is illegal for Canadians to give their SIN # to any U.S. entity. But get an IRS-ITIN # to use when you have to pay tax or do banking in the U.S. Go to a U.S. […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, I always enjoy the articles and timely tips, but must admit that one article in the recent Bird Talk section raised huge red flags. I refer specifically to the one from V.C. in Lloydminster, AB, where he suggested how to adapt your SIN to facilitate a U.S. credit card application. Having been […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, I have read with interest your previous exchanges on the difficulty of obtaining a U.S. $ bank credit card. Last summer, the solution seemed to be to get a U.S. tax ID number. That option won’t work anymore, as the IRS will not issue one unless you will be filing a U.S. […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear Bird Talk, When calculating days spent in the U.S. on the form 8840, if a person returns to Canada for two weeks at Christmastime and then returns to the U.S., or if a person is going on a cruise for two weeks on the Panama Canal while they are staying in the U.S., are […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear bird talk, This message is in reference to the lady trying to acquire U.S. credit cards at major shopping stores. As snowbirds, we have a home in an adult community in henderson, Nevada and this is what has worked for me when applying for a card with Macy’s, dillards, Kohls, etc. Once you have […]

Posted date : Nov 4, 2017

Dear bird talk, I have been unable to complete an application to get a Wal-Mart credit card because the computer insists on a Social Security Number and, of course, I only have a Canadian social insurance number. two weeks of trying to find some way around the computer and talking to senior staff at the […]