August 23, 2023: An Important notice from the Canada Revenue Agency
Interim treatment of NEW First Home Savings Accounts (FHSA) under Part XVIII
The FHSAs are under consideration for being added to the list of the excluded accounts described in Annex II of the Agreement. These accounts do not need to be reviewed, identified or reported at this time.
What does this notice mean for U.S. citizens living in Canada?
On August 23, 2023 the Canada Revenue Agency released its latest guidelines for how financial institutions should interpret the Canada/US FATCA IGA. The guidelines are updated annually to reflect changes (which include) evolving financial products. The Canadian “FHSA” (First Home Savings Account) was introduced in 2023. My recommendation is that U.S. citizens living in Canada should have an FHSA.
The good news is that the FHSA accounts will join other accounts under Annex II which are NOT required to be reported BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS under the FATCA IGAs! The FHSA should be reported by individuals on IRS Form 8938 with their tax returns when the Form 8938 is required!
In other words, U.S. citizens living in Canada can expect that FHSA accounts will NOT be reported to the Canada Revenue Agency and then the IRS.
The text from the guidelines – Section 5.6 (go directly to the bottom) – includes:
Continue reading