About to go down on contract

Hi everyone,

This is going to be my first post. I have been a long time lurker and am about to make my first journey over the border for employment.

I will be accepting a 12 month contract shortly, and will hopefully get across the border on a TN (management consultant) since I do not have enough education for the Computer Systems Analyst.

Besides the visa process, I have a few questions I am hoping you guys can help answer. The firm I am going to has little experience dealing with Canadians.

1. How does taxation work? Do I get taxed at source in the US, Canada, or both?

2. How about income tax? US, Canada, or both?

3. I will be brining a car down as my work involves quite a bit of driving. Do I need to import it, is Canadian insurance sufficient?

4. I have health insurance, life, etc through my wife's employer, do I need to pay these things in the US as well?

My wife and three kids are staying behind and she works in Canada. Do they still remain dependants, and special implications here?

I appreciate any help I can get. The situation is exciting, but pretty overwhelming.

Thanks in advance.

As a long-time lurker, you will know thta tax questions are best asked at forums.serbinski.com and TN questions are best answered at http://forums.immigration.com/forumdisp ... -TN-Status

3. Your car import question will depend if you leave the car in US all the time of keep driving it back. If you keep it in US, then any state will consider you a resident, which will require registration and plating (and thus importation). It is also unlikely that your Cdn insuarnce would cover you long-term, which would require US insurance, which would require registration and plating (and thus importation). You may also have to get state DL, but that is not as important as plating and insurance.

4. You should still be covered by your spouse's health insurance. Be careful that there are no clauses in her policy that would limit your coverage while in US.