Moving to Canada as a Doctor: Cross-Border Taxes, Healthcare, and Retirement Explained

🇺🇸➡️🇨🇦 Moving to Canada? The tax details matter, a lot. In this episode of The Interesting MD Podcast, host Dr. Rob Beck sits down with Sonya Dolguina, Toronto-based cross-border tax consultant and co-author of Your Move to Canada, to break down the most important financial and tax considerations for Americans and repatriating Canadians making the move north.

Sonya walks through critical topics like dual tax residency, managing U.S. and Canadian filing obligations, and why planning your move before you cross the border can save you thousands. They discuss common (and costly) mistakes, such as mishandling LLCs, missing foreign asset reporting, or misunderstanding how Canadian accounts like RRSPs and TFSAs interact with U.S. tax rules.

The conversation also covers real-world comparisons between U.S. and Canadian tax systems, including healthcare costs, social security, and education expenses, offering a more complete picture of what “higher taxes” actually mean in practice. For physicians and professionals navigating cross-border careers, this episode is a must-watch.

📘 Learn more in Sonya’s book, Your Move to Canada, and find trusted cross-border resources to plan your transition the right way.

Chapters:
00:00 INTRO "Tax Tips for Doctors Moving"
04:47 "US-to-Canada Financial Guidebook"
08:40 Navigating Cross-Border Tax Residency
11:02 Tax Residency vs. Immigration Residency
14:33 Self-Employment Taxes and Deductions
19:16 Canadian Tax Benefits for Corporations
20:08 GILTI Rules and Double Taxation
24:19 Canada Capital Gains Tax Rules
27:38 U.S. Retirement Accounts in Canada
32:40 RRSP Contribution Rules for Newcomers
35:50 TFSA: Tax Benefits and Risks
39:24 Canada: High Taxes for Couples
42:44 Education and Healthcare Costs Comparison
44:30 Grateful for Universal Healthcare
48:31 Covered Expatriate Criteria Explained
52:50 Sticky Residency Tax Traps
55:47 60-Month Departure Tax Rule
59:26 Follow The Interesting MD Podcast

Your Move to Canada resources for you:
Your Move to Canada main website: https://yourmovetocanada.com
YouTube channel with cross-border tax and finance videos:    / @yourmovetocanada  
Video about TFSAs for US citizens, that was mentioned in the podcast:    • Your Move to Canada | TFSA Explained for A...  
Get in touch with the authors: yourmovetocanadabook@gmail.com
Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/65GvEb0
Amazon USA: https://a.co/d/dUXDoTc

Podcast Link https://theinterestingmd.podbean.com
YouTube Link    / @interestingmd  
Website Link https://www.interestingmd.com/

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Email me at Rob@interestingmd.com