U.S. Persons in Canada: understanding how COVID-19 updates affect filing your U.S. taxes.

July 28, 2020


You might have heard about the Canadian income tax filing deadline being extended until June 1, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but what does this extension mean for U.S. Persons living in Canada or Canadians needing to file with the IRS? We’re here to help you understand what these changes mean for you.

A quick rundown of the changes for your Canadian tax return.

This year, the federal filing deadline for income tax returns has been extended from April 30, 2020 to June 1, 2020. For those who have a balance owing, it means that it does not have to be paid until September 30, 2020. So long as you file before June 1st, you won’t be subject to a late-filing penalty, nor will you start to accrue interest on the balance due until after the last day of September. For more information on Canadian tax changes, click here.

What you need to know about filing your U.S. tax return.

If you are an American living in Canada, the U.S. tax deadline has normally been extended by one month, from the national deadline of April 15th to June 15th. However, this year the tax filing deadline was extended to July 15th for all Americans, including expats living abroad. That means that American citizens living in Canada must submit their U.S. taxes by July 15, 2020.

For individuals who have a balance owing, you will not be charged interest by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) until July 15th.

H&R Block is here to help.

If you have any questions about the impact of these changes on you and your taxes, H&R Block Tax Experts are here to help. Visit here for the latest information on how we’re making ourselves available to our clients during the COVID-19 crisis and how we can best serve you.

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