SnowbirdAlert Go to the doctor Get those pre-existing medical conditions under control and work with your doctor to make any necessary adjustments to your medication as soon as possible. Get followup tests and procedures scheduled so that you have a clear 90-day stability period before you head south in the fall. File your 8840 Form When you fulfil the requirements of the substantial presence test, you can be treated as a resident of the United States and be taxed by the IRS on your worldwide income. Declare your closer connection to Canada by completing the IRS 8840 Form and send it in. Update your Personal Health Record When you or your spouse are dealing with a medical emergency either away or at home, you don’t want to run around looking for prescription medication bottles or be concerned with an accurate recollection of what year or instance in which either of you received medical treatment. Write it down now, while you have time and presence of mind, and keep it in a handy spot – such as on your fridge – for quick and easy access should the time ever come at which you need to answer medical questions quickly. Renew your CSA Membership Support the only organization that actively lobbies governments in Canada and the United States to protect and defend the snowbird lifestyle. Note: 8840 Form, Personal Health Records and CSA Membership renewal can all be accessed easily at www.snowbirds.org Five things you should know about the Canadian Census Long-form? Short-form? Mandatory? Voluntary? So much to know, so little time. The census begins on May 2 this year and some Canadians may find the process a bit confusing, given recent changes to the national tally. Set yourself up for census success by separating fact from fiction with these mythbusters: SPRINGTIME SNOWBIRD CHECKLIST www.newscanada.com 1. The census is mandatory. All Canadians must complete their census questionnaire, either online, through the mail, in person or by phone. The mandatory long-form census replaces the previous voluntary household survey, as of November 2015. 2. There are two types of census questionnaires. Three out of four Canadians will receive a short-form census with 10 questions, while one out of four will receive a long-form census with 60 questions. The short-form census provides basic household information such as address, marital status and number of children, while the long-form census digs deeper into such things as citizenship and immigration status, ethnic background, birthplace of parents, education, income, housing, child-care and other support payments, and employment status. 3. The census measures more than just the number of people in Canada and where they live. Data collected from the census are used to make life easier for people and the communities in which they live. For example, things such as traffic congestion, overcrowded schools or new or improved hospitals and retirement centres can all be addressed using information from the census. The actual questions, and other information about the 2016 Census can be found on the Statistics Canada website. 4. Your information is protected. Everything you report is kept confidential and is protected by law. Your identity gets separated from your information and is never attached to it again. Take note of the secure access code on your census letter from Statistics Canada, which you should receive on or around May 2. This code is one of the measures in place to ensure that you can securely complete your census questionnaire online. 5. The results of the census are released in 2017. Data from the 2016 Census will be released in a very timely fashion. The first data release (for population and dwelling counts) is scheduled for February 8, 2017. 6 | www.snowbirds.org
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