Cross-border Tax Accountants

[jf313]

I am a Canadian citizen who has worked 40 years in the U. S. on a green card. If I return to Canada in say May 2025, could I file U. S. income on TurboTax for Jan - May 2025 and the remaining months on Canadian TurboTax (and apply the U. S. tax credit for Jan - May 2025)? Or would I need to hire a Cross-border Tax Accountant in Canada for that first tax year (2025)? 

Thanks, jf313

[KimberW · Accepted solution]

You'll want to double-check the requirements for no longer being considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes.

Under the Residency ending date under the green card test section of this Q&A from the IRS, Residency Starting and Ending Dates, it isn't enough to move away. To become a non-resident for tax purposes, you also have to:

1. voluntarily turn in your green card to USCIS and renounce your U.S. immigrant status;
2. have your immigrant status administratively revoked by USCIS; or
3. have your immigrant status judicially revoked by a United States federal court.

From that same document, the ending date for residency under the substantial presence test is usually December 31 of the year that you leave the U.S.

Both of those sets of rules lead me to believe that you may have to file a full-year U.S. return for 2025. You'd report all income earned everywhere on your tax return, but you would likely be able to take a foreign earned income exclusion for the income earned in Canada. If this is the scenario, then TurboTax can absolutely handle your US return for 2025, foreign income exclusion and all.

But, if you'll be filing as a part-year resident then that isn't something we can handle. We partner with a company called Sprintax to help with part-year resident and non-resident tax returns.