topic U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S

owkhalaf — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 15:56:11 GMT

I am a Canadian citizen living in Canada, and I cross the border daily to work in the United States. This is my first time filing U.S. taxes, and I have the following questions:

When asked about household filing status, should I choose “plan to file separately,” since my wife lives with me in Canada?
In the personal information section, when asked about my spouse and dependents’ SSN, I do not have SSNs for them because I am the only one working in the U.S. Should I leave those fields blank?
Where do I report my 401(k) contributions?
If I am eligible for a refund, how will I receive it?

Thank you for your assistance.

Re: U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S

MarilynG1 — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 01:02:03 GMT

Yes, choose Filing Separately. You can leave out your Spouse/Children's info.

If you received a W-2 form, your 401K contributions will show in Box 12, with a Code D. When you enter your W-2 in TurboTax, the program automatically calculates a deduction for you.

Give your correct mailing address in the Personal Info section to receive a check by mail. You can elect Direct Deposit in the FILE section and give your bank routing/account numbers if you have a US bank account. You also need a US credit/debit card to pay for your return, unless you choose 'Pay from Refund'.

Here's more info on Efiling With Foreign Address.

@owkhalaf

Re: U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S

owkhalaf — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:59:39 GMT

Thank you for your reply. Everything is clear now.

However, when I reach the e-filing step, the system asks me to fix errors related to the missing SSNs for my wife and children in the review section before the final submission.

Can I enter zeros or “N/A,” or do I need to file by mail if I cannot fix these errors?

Re: U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S

AmyC — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:43:35 GMT

Two issues:

1. You will need an ITIN (individual taxpayer identification number) for the wife and kids. You can file a W7 for the ITINs with your return.

2. Are you a citizen of Canada or Canada and US, since this affects which return you file.

US citizen - continue filing with us and add the W7.
If you are not a US citizen, you need to file 1040NR with Sprintax.

Re: U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S

owkhalaf — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:12:26 GMT

Thanks again ! I am not a US citizen. Can I still send it by mail? Or I have to file it with Sprintax.

Re: U.S. Tax Filing as a Canadian Resident Working in the U.S

DaveF1006 — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:07:01 GMT

Yes. You can send the return by mail. It'd need to be a 1040NR return. You can also file it electronically with SprintTax.