FAQ

The clients that get the most value from our work typically share these characteristics:

• Navigating Cross-Border Life Changes: Maybe you’re a Canadian heading south for work, a U.S. citizen or green card holder moving north, or you’ve just sold U.S. real estate. Cross-border tax obligations can be a headache, and you want to make sure everything’s handled smoothly.
• Professional Athletes: Your tax situation isn’t your average W-2 filing. You’re dealing with the jock tax and multi-state filings, trying to stay on the right side of the law while keeping as much of your earnings as possible. You need someone who gets the unique challenges of your career and can help you navigate the tax landscape without any hassle.
• Run a Privately Held Business: You’re at the helm of a small to mid-sized, privately held business with 1-100 employees. You’re dealing with cross-border operations, investments, or tax issues, and you need guidance that goes beyond the basics.
• There's An Elephant In The Room: You’re dealing with a significant tax headache that’s keeping you up at night. Whether it’s new cross-border rules, a big shift in your business, or complex tax issues, you know it’s time to bring in someone who can guide you through it.
• Top Dog: We work directly with the key decision-makers—those who are fully involved from start to finish. If you prefer direct communication and working with someone who can give you real answers, rather than being passed off to a junior, you’ll fit right in.
• Hands-off: You’re ready to let us do what we do best—diagnose the problem and recommend the right solutions. You trust that our experience will help you tackle your immediate concerns and set you up for long-term success.
• No Surprises: You have no hesitation about the fee because you know the cost of keeping the CRA, IRS, and HMRC out of your life is worth every penny, and don’t need special terms (see below).

On the cross-border advisory side, we do our best to give you a clear, no-nonsense view of your tax situation, and provide practical written instructions and guidance without over-complicating things.

As for tax returns, we know our stuff. We've filed a lot of cross-border tax returns at this point, and know the quirks and headaches involves pretty darn well. Because we focus solely on cross-border matters, our tax filing work is fast, accurate, and most importantly presented correctly to the CRA and the IRS.

This one is easy: you work directly with me, Cameron Ware. I’m your main point of contact and the person responsible for every detail of your file - no risk of being passed off to junior staff once your engagement letter is signed. My team does assist with some of the groundwork and administrative tasks, but I sure don’t delegate the technical or tricky parts of your file. The person you meet at the start is the person who will be with you every step of the way.

Well, here's five reasons:

1. When you do the same specific file work over and over, you get really good at seeing the patterns and problems, and know exactly what needs filed. We’ve fine-tuned our processes to find and fix cross-border headaches quickly and reliably.
2. We’ve been doing this for a long time (2nd generation CPA), helping many clients navigate the tricky waters of U.S. and Canadian taxes. Our filing record speaks for itself.
3. You’re not just another file on a junior’s desk. Unlike the big firms, where your work might be churned out by someone still learning the ropes, here you get the full attention of someone who’s been in the trenches. I personally handle your file, ensuring it’s done right the first time—no assembly line, and no paying for someone else’s education.
4. We’re clear and straightforward in our advice and technical guidance. We’ll tell you what you need to hear, with no up-selling, jargon, buzz-words, or MBA-speak.
5. Our guidance, reporting, and working papers all come from successful real-world submissions to the CRA and IRS, and from proprietary data assembled from the many clients we’ve worked with over the years. Meaning the tax agencies will generally leave you alone, with minimal (if any) effort required on your part.

Having said all of this, there are plenty of good firms out there, and if we’re not the right fit for you, we’ll say so and even point you in the right direction.

For cross-border planning or advisory, it's usually best to hold off on making significant changes—like adjusting your tax strategy, filing things with CRA (looking at you, NR73), or financial planning—until you've had the chance to get an outside perspective. This ensures you're moving in the right direction from the start, and not triggering unnecessary penalties or taxes.

As for your actual tax returns, having everything in order beforehand (summaries are good) can make the filing process smoother and help avoid complications down the line. (However, if you generally hate that stuff and want some assistance, let us know.)

If you've never worked with us before, try out our cross-border consult. This is a chance for us to discuss your file specifics and for you to get a sense of how we operate. While we don’t typically do in-person meetings right off the bat, this consult is designed to give you a clear picture of what it’s like to work with us. Plus, with all the content and information we share online, you’ll have a solid idea of our approach and whether it aligns with what you’re looking for before we even get on the call.

This will always depend on the specific facts and circumstances of your file, but a typical engagement will generally involve something that looks like:

1. Technical Diagnosis: Actionable tax advice tailored to your situation, with practical steps you can implement immediately.
2. Tax Filings: We will prepare and file perfect tax returns for you, meeting all appropriate filing deadlines.
3. Monitoring & Oversight: Ongoing management of any tax-related issues, including potential CRA or IRS reviews, and/or coordination with your other advisors to ensure correct tax outcomes.

Depending on your budget and the specifics of your file, you may just need one of these services, or might be better serviced with some sort of combination of all three.

Before an engagement, we’ll send you materials to review, so you’re well-prepared for our discussions. While we keep our recommendations concise, taking notes during our meetings is always beneficial.

This is always a tricky question, and it’s important to understand why we approach it the way we do.

In the past, we provided references, but we’ve moved away from doing so for a few reasons:

1. Our clients have entrusted us with their private and sensitive tax matters, and didn't generally sign on to serve as on-call references for our office. Often, these conversations end up taking more of their time than is fair, with them (non-CPA's) providing indirect tax "advice"—advice that likely isn't relevant to your specific situation anyway.
2. Asking for references can sometimes indicate skepticism, which is understandable (and healthy). However, we’ve built a strong reputation in the cross-border tax space. If you’re unsure about us and our work, that’s perfectly reasonable. We encourage you to explore your options, get second opinions from other firms, and determine if your situation truly requires the specialized expertise we offer.
3. Confidentiality is key in our work. Just as we protect the details of your tax situation, we extend the same discretion to our other clients. This is particularly important when handling files for high-profile clients, such as professional athletes. We avoid name-dropping or sharing contact information to protect their privacy and prevent any potential misuse, or unsolicited requests.
4. The nature of our work is highly specialized, and much of what we do is tailored to the specific facts and circumstances of each client. Connecting you with past clients could reveal details that are not relevant to your unique needs, and send you off in a direction that could cause unintended consequences and harm.

We hate getting billed for 0.1's, so we don't do that to our clients. Typical engagements range from $6,000 to $25,000, with some offerings starting at $3,000.

For our most common services, you’ll find standard packages listed on our website. For everything else, we’ll review your file (The "Discovery" process) and quote you a flat, all-in fee, so you know exactly what to expect. We’ve been at this game for a while, and this approach makes sure everyone involved has the same incentive - getting quality work done quickly.

All services are prepaid and non-refundable. This isn’t about cash flow; it’s about creating a working relationship that’s based on trust and focus. By handling payment upfront, we avoid distractions and can concentrate on getting the best results for you. It also ensures we’re working with clients who are ready to take action.

If cash flow’s a concern, we do accept credit cards.