Obamacare could cost some Canadians a lot of money

financialpost

rippdemup.com

Jamie Golombek

In the wee hours of Jan. 1, 2013, as most of the country was catching some shuteye after the previous night’s New Year’s Eve festivities, the U.S. Senate passed the American Taxpayer Relief Tax Act of 2012 or, as some people refer to it, the “fiscal cliff” act.

The legislation contains changes to tax rules which may be relevant to the estimated one million U.S. citizens living in Canada. Under U.S. law, citizens are required to file an income tax return reporting worldwide income no matter where they reside. Most countries, including Canada, have a residency-based taxation system rather than a citizenship-based system.

In the majority of cases, however, U.S. citizens don’t end up owing U.S. federal tax due to offsetting foreign tax credits. For example, under the new legislation, U.S. high-income earners now face a top tax rate of 39.6% for income over $400,000, an increase from 2012’s top 35% rate. By comparison, Canada’s top marginal rate is 29% and kicks in at income of roughly $135,000 in 2013. But when you add in provincial taxes, combined top marginal rates range from 39% to 50%. This means that in nearly all cases, there will be enough Canadian taxes paid to offset any U.S. tax liability owing.