President’s Message Karen Huestis CSA President Snowbird season has arrived, and it is time to escape the cold and head to our winter homes. I have enjoyed a busy first year as president of the Canadian Snowbird Association and it’s not over yet. In September, my husband Bill and I enjoyed meeting so many of you at our annual round of fall Snowbird Lifestyle Presentations. This year, we began our tour in Ontario with stops in Richmond Hill, St. Catharines, Parry Sound and Nepean, before heading east for stops in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Moncton, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was great meeting all of you who said hello and I am happy to report that the association also signed up many new members at the shows. If you didn’t get a chance to attend a Lifestyle Presentation this year, not to worry, our round of winter shows is fast approaching. This year’s Florida Snowbird Extravaganza will be held at the RP Funding Center on Tuesday andWednesday, January 30 and 31, 2018 in Lakeland, Florida. The RP Funding Center is the new name of the Lakeland Center; it is not a different venue so if you’ve been to the Lakeland Center before, that is still where you’re headed. Our Winter Texans’ Snowbird Extravaganza will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 6 and 7, 2018 at the Boggus Ford Events Center in Pharr, Texas. Finally, our Arizona Extravaganza (Canadian Snowbird Celebration) will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 13 and 14, 2018 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Arizona. If none of those dates work for you, guess what? You are not out of luck yet. Our annual round of Winter Information Meetings commences on February 19, 2018 in Indio, California and then we are off to Winterhaven, California for a show on February 20, 2018. We then head back to Florida for our final four shows. Florida members can catch us in Immokalee on February 23, 2018, Clearwater on February 26, 2018, Bradenton on February 27, 2018 or Punta Gorda on February 28, 2018. All of the shows listed above combine great entertainment and useful information about making the most of your time in your winter homes. As always, these are free shows and everyone is welcome so, if you have a friend who is not yet a member of the CSA, by all means please feel free to bring them along or encourage them to join us. CSA members may also book a member of your board of directors to make an information presentation this winter directly to their local winter community or club. These presentations include some of the latest information regarding what the association has been working on, on your behalf and we attempt to answer any questions which people might have about a wide variety of snowbird-related topics. To book a presentation for your local winter community or club, simply contact the CSA office in Toronto. These presentations are open to members and non-members alike. Some of the most frequently asked questions we still receive in the office are about the Form 8840; what is it and do I need to file it? Under the Internal Revenue Code, Canadians and other foreign visitors to the United States will be treated as either resident aliens or non-resident aliens for tax purposes. Resident aliens of the U.S. are treated similarly to U.S. citizens in that they are taxed on their worldwide income. If a Canadian traveller typically spends four months or longer in the United States each calendar year, he or she may be deemed a resident alien for tax purposes. In order to be treated as a non-resident alien and avoid U.S. taxation, Canadian snowbirds need to file IRS Form 8840 – Closer Connection Exception Statement for Aliens annually (one form per person) by June 15. We recommend that travellers make a copy of their Form8840 and include it in their border binder of information as further evidence of their closer residential ties with Canada. If you do not file Form 8840, you will not be eligible to claim the closer connection exception and may be treated as a U.S. resident. This does not mean that you will be, but why take the chance? If you file by the deadline, you will not be penalized if you can show by clear and convincing evidence that you took reasonable actions to become aware of the filing requirements and significant steps to comply with those requirements. I appreciate that this can be confusing but, if you file the form, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. If you need clarification or help with filing, simply contact the office and they’ll be happy to help you. That’s what they’re there for. Bill and I wish you a safe and happy winter in the sun. 12 | www.snowbirds.org
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