The Canadian Snowbird in America: Professional Tax and Financial Insights into Temporary Lifestyles in the U.S.

John Abbott is a professor of history at Laurentian University’s Algoma University College. He is the co-author of The Border at Sault Ste Marie and The History of Fort St. Joseph.

Consider this a chart that maps the minefields strung along a border that most Canadians over 35 used to think about only briefly, and that only while passing through it. Within a decade it has become a significant political, logistical, and psychological barrier, thickened to a degree which few of us could have predicted. This slim volume is an excellent navigational guide. Terry Ritchie is a Canadian whose parents moved to the United States while he was still a minor. Fifteen years later he returned to Canada, while continuing to cross the border frequently for personal and business reasons. Hard experience has honed the advice he gives to snowbird clients and readers of this book. These Canadians, who spend two months or more annually in the American south, are legion: they number some 1.5 million.

In fact, any Canadian who crosses the border should read chapter 1, “Don’t Worry, I’ll Be Back.” Those whose status is regarded as problematical by American immigration officers and who may be referred for a secondary examination should consider creating a “border binder,” a collection of personal documents based on Ritchie’s own experience. Not everyone knows that both the Canadian and U.S. governments exercise strict control on the transfer of funds exceeding $10,000, and they exchange records in regard to this. Chapter 2 contains even more chilling information on U.S. tax matters: “Welcome to the United States—Now Pay Up!” The pitfalls continue for those who purchase U.S. real estate, an attractive proposition for many Canadians now that the recession has thrown so much sun-belt real estate onto the market at knock-down prices. Advice on money management covers currency fluctuation, banking strategies, plastic money, investment pitfalls and solutions, and U.S. estate planning. In the penultimate chapter the authors consider that great bugbear, medical emergencies and health insurance (considered in respect to the coverage offered by each province); in the final they offer advice on finding an adviser. Appendices assist in finding relevant websites, locating border crossings, and creating a checklist of questions to ask any potential adviser on cross-border matters.

As for those contemplating temporary residence in the American south, and considering this volume: Don’t leave home without (reading) it.