CSANews 110

Dear Bird Talk, I would like to thank Medipac for the great service they provided to me when I needed to use their services. Last March, while in Mexico, I had an angina attack and went to a local hospital in Playa Del Carmen, had tests done there, and was then taken to another hospital in Cancun. Medipac was advised and, after being in the hospital for two days and declared stable, the decision was made to air-liftme toMontreal to my hospital, where I had an angioplasty the following day to unblock one of my stents. I had to pay up front inMexico for the hospital stays and services and, when home, there was never any question about being reimbursed. It took a few months to get reimbursed, the delay only the fault of my hospital inMontreal for not sending my records to them. If any of your readers are in doubt about Medipac, don’t be!They are a great company. Just make sure that you answer any questions they ask when filling out their forms for insurance and don’t BS them; even if you only take an aspirin, tell them. Thanks, Medipac, Peter Kuzik Sainte Anne De Bellevue, QC Ed.: We would have given the Mexican hospital Medipac’s credit card if they had asked; that is a much safer way to deal with this kind of situation in Mexico. BirdTalk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, I own several quarters of farmland in Saskatchewan and plan to will three to four quarters to each of four non-farming children, including a son who is a dual citizen and resides and works in Arizona. All of their farmland will incur some capital gains tax in Canada, as it has been cash rented since I purchased it. Will my U.S. son have to pay gift tax in the U.S., and will my estate have to pay capital gains tax in Canada? Is there a way to will/gift Saskatchewan farmland to a U.S. dual citizen without incurring U.S. gift tax on the market value? John Vinek Lloydminster, SK Ed.: Your U.S. son will not have to pay tax upon inheriting the property. There will be capital gains tax payable by your estate in Canada, of course. There is a gift tax in the U.S. which would apply if the property were gifted prior to your death, whereas in Canada, there is no gift tax. With some astute planning, you could probably avoid any taxes. Dear Bird Talk, I sold my mobile home in Florida in 2018. It is on a lot owned by the mobile home park. Do I need to report the sale on my CRA tax return? William Perryman Port Elgin, ON Ed.: Only if you made some money. All capital gains must be reported to our CRA. Dear Bird Talk, My husband and I bought a house in California two years ago, as “Husband and Wife as Joint Tenants.” I’ve been reading some information recently that’smakingme wonder if we should transfer it to a “Revocable Trust” to avoid costly probate and extraordinary fees. The purchase price was $168,000. The current value is more than $200,000. We will be making a living will as well. Thank you in advance for your advice on this. Nancy Weisdorff Saskatoon, SK Ed.: Transferring the property to a trust would accomplish avoidance of probate fees, etc., but as to whether that is the best way for you, we cannot say. You should consult an estate attorney in California. Note: We are approaching our Early Bird Travel Insurance time, and felt that we should remind you what a few of our customers really think of us. Dear Bird Talk, We had already purchased our winter insurance and were preparing to go to Yuma, AZ for the winter, when my wife fell ill and required surgery, which meant staying home for the winter. Medipac returned our total amount within three weeks of my phone call and mailing proof of a medical problem. Thank you, Medipac, for your quick response with no quibbling. Bob Nicol Sardis, BC CSANews | SPRING 2019 | 9

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