Dear Bird Talk, We have just purchased a U.S. home in California and are wondering whether, if we move excess furniture from our Canadian home, we will have issues at the border with U.S. customs. Jeff Wilcox Golden Lake, ON Ed.: You will be able to take the furniture to your new property and you should have no issues at the border. Make a detailed list to show at the border and explain what you are doing and also show proof of your new home purchase. Dear Bird Talk, Issue #122 Page 8 – 1st Insertion – From Judy Gage, Victoria, B.C. In your answer – Line 10 you state … “Go to 1-94 website and see for yourself.” Can you please clarify what “I-94 website” means…or…is it a typo? I look forward to your response. Sir Richard T. Neville Ottawa, ON Ed.: It was not a typo, sir.We implore all snowbirds to visit this website and take a look at how the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service is tracking your entries and exits to the United States. Go to the website and click on the “VIEW TRAVEL HISTORY” tab. You can then log in with your name, date of birth and travel document, such as a passport or Nexus card number, and you will see the dates and points of entry on record. It’s interesting to see. Big Brother is watching! Here is the website address: i94.cbp.dhs.gov Bird Talk 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, Hello, I am a snowbird spending winters in Nokomis, Florida. There seems to be a discrepancy in thought between my fellow snowbirds about a rule that does or does not actually exist. There is a large number of snowbirds saying that, if you leave the U.S. and return before 30 days have expired, the time in Canada actually counts as time in the U.S. Question: If we were to leave Canada and enter the U.S. in November and fly home to Ontario for two weeks at Christmas − and then fly back to the U.S., do the two weeks in Canada count as days in the U.S. or Canada? Richard Stevens St. Thomas, ON Ed.: The trouble with this discrepancy is that it is at the DISCRETION of the CBSA officer. When you re-enter the United States after your Christmas visit to Canada, you may be permitted to stay for an additional six months! The problem that can occur down the line is that when you presumably re-enter the United States next fall, or in following years, a CBSA officer may look at your file and decide, at their DISCRETION, that you overstayed your welcome. He or she may decide to reduce the number of days for which you will be permitted to visit. We have been advised by CBSA that a “best practices” approach to this potential discrepancy is that when you enter the United States to reside there for the winter, short trips abroad and back to Canada should not be deducted from your “days in the United States” count. Please do not confuse this with the Calendar Year count that is employed on the 8840 Form. The 8840 Form is an IRS day count for tax purposes and only counts the actual days spent inside the United States from January 1 to December 31 of each year. Dear Bird Talk, Medical marijuana use is legal in Canada, but not in all of the states. When we cross into the U.S., I do not bring any form of CBD (which I have registered to use) with me. However, I have just been issued a Medical Marijuana Use ID card by the state of Florida. When I return home to Canada, I am crossing the Canadian border. Can I bring my CBD (purchased in Florida) across our Canadian border without any complications? Carol Heaslip Waterford, ON Ed.: No! No! No! Under the Cannabis Act, transporting cannabis across the Canadian border in any form is illegal; this includes any oils containing THC or cannabidiol (CBD) regardless of how much cannabis you are travelling with, whether you are authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes in any form (including cannabidiol – CBD), or if you are travelling to or from a municipality, state or country in which cannabis has been legalized or decriminalized. So don’t take any chances. Dear Bird Talk, Hi, I received a statement of interest income from my TD Bank in the U.S. − interest earned is .44 cents. Would I have to file income tax in the U.S? If no filing is required, as of what amount earned would I have to file? Maria De Marco Québec Ed.: No tax is payable on your interest from this bank and, anyway, you are way below the threshold for filing and paying U.S. tax, which is about $750. CSANews | SUMMER 2022 | 9
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