Bird Talk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 Online at www.snowbirds.org/bird-talk or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk closer connection exception. I will be filing an 8840 for 2024, but we did not file in previous years. Will this be an issue? Ron Tardiff Lorette, MB Ed.: There is no issue with filing the 8840 for the first time. We recommend keeping a copy of the form for your own files. Either a digital copy or a paper copy will suffice. Dear Bird Talk, My husband and I recently sold our condo in Florida. We know that we have to file a capital gains return with the IRS in 2025. How do we go about doing this? We know that we need to get an SSN and that we need to complete the relevant tax forms. We have all the pertinent information in order to complete the filing process, i.e. buying and selling info, receipts, etc., but don’t know where to begin. Please help. Angie Robertson Campbellford, ON Ed.: To ensure that you complete this process correctly, it would be best for you to consult a real estate lawyer licensed in the State of Florida. Call the CSA office for an initial, complimentary legal consultation. Dear Bird Talk, Can I transport my friend’s hunting rifle from North Carolina to New York? I have no gun licences or permits. Ronald Bissonnette Ontario Ed.: No! You are not a citizen of the United States; you do not “have the right to bear arms” or to do your friend a favour by doing so. Illegal possession of a firearm in New York state without aggravating circumstances is a Class E felony, which can be punishable by jail time and will likely lead to you being banned from entering the United States in the future. Dear Bird Talk, Is there any disaster relief for Canadians who own property and pay taxes in the United States? FEMA is for U.S. citizens only, I believe... Teri Davidson Lynden, ON Ed.: This is an unfortunate reality. FEMA support is only available to U.S. citizens. There are non-citizen qualifications; however, being a property owner is not one of them. Best of luck with your recovery. Dear Bird Talk, My spouse is retired and was a lineman for a New Brunswick company for hurricanes or tropical storms. He went to work in the United States for Hurricane Helene and is currently in Florida for Hurricane Milton. We are also snowbirds and spend the winter in Florida. My question is, do the days my spouse works for hurricanes count towards his 183 days? Louise Beauchemin St-Côme, QC Ed.: The technical answer would be yes, the days count. Whether you are admitted to the United States with a B1 – Temporary Business Visitor or a B2 Visa for Tourism or Medical Care, it doesn’t change the count. However, this would be an appropriate discussion to have with the Customs and Border Protection Officer upon entry to the United States. It would be at his/her discretion to permit you and your husband to stay in the United States for any particular amount of time. Dear Bird Talk, We have owned a condo in the U.S. for a number of years and typically never spend longer than three to four months in a year in the U.S. I’ve just become aware of the form 8840 and, in 2024, we will have spent 157 days in the U.S. I do not meet the Substantial Presence test and would qualify under the CSANews | WINTER 2024 | 7
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