Cross-Border
Guides
Cross-Border Financial Guides for Canada and the United States
Managing money across the Canada-US border means living under two tax systems at once, where an account that is efficient in one country can quietly be expensive in the other. These guides explain how that actually works: what happens to your RRSP, TFSA, 401(k) and IRA when you move, how the Canada-US tax treaty applies to your income and your retirement accounts, what a PFIC is and why it matters if you are a US person in Canada, and how estates and trusts are treated differently on each side of the border.
Everything here is written for people who live, work, or invest in both countries, and it is kept current rather than tied to a publication date. Start with the topic that matches your situation, or use the search below if you already know what you are looking for. When a question comes down to your own accounts, residency and timing, Sartorial Wealth is a dual-registered cross-border wealth management firm, and you are welcome to start a conversation.
Browse by Topic
Find the guide that matches your situation.
- Registered AccountsRRSPs, TFSAs, FHSAs, 401(k)s, IRAs and Roth accounts, and what changes when you cross the border.
- Tax and TreatyThe Canada-US tax treaty, PFIC rules, US tax residency, and cross-border filing and reporting.
- Relocation and ResidencyMoving in either direction, tax residency, and what happens to your accounts when you land.
- Estate and InheritanceCross-border estates, trusts, gifting, and inheritance that crosses the border.
- Fraud and SecurityProtecting your identity, your accounts and your family from fraud across two countries.
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Featured Guides
RRSP, TFSA and FHSA When You Move to the U.S.
A 2026 plain-English guide to how each of your Canadian registered accounts behaves once you become a U.S. resident. Your Canadian registered accounts do not all cross the border the same way. One is well protected by the tax treaty, one becomes a tax and paperwork...
Departure Tax in Canada: What It Means for Your Investments
A 2026 plain-English guide to the deemed disposition that applies when you stop being a Canadian tax resident. When you stop being a resident of Canada for tax purposes, the Canada Revenue Agency treats you as if you sold almost everything you own on the day you...
401(k) vs RRSP: Cross-Border Retirement Accounts Compared
A 2026 plain-English comparison of the two accounts, and what actually happens to each one when you cross the border. The 401(k) and the RRSP are often called each other’s equivalents, and in spirit they are. Both are tax-deferred retirement accounts: you contribute...
How to Choose a Cross-Border Financial Advisor (Canada-U.S.)
A 2026 plain-English guide to the five questions worth asking before you hire anyone to manage money across the border. When your money spans two countries, the wrong advisor is worse than no advisor, because confident advice that ignores the other country’s rules can...
Cross-Border Wealth Management: The Complete Canada-U.S. Guide
A plain-English guide to coordinating your money across two tax systems, and the moment you start to need it. Most financial advice quietly assumes one country. One tax system, one set of accounts, one government whose rules you follow. For a growing number of...
Is There a 401(k) in Canada? The RRSP Equivalent, Explained
A 2026 plain-English guide to Canada's retirement accounts, and how they line up against the US 401(k) and Roth. If you have worked in the United States, or you are moving to Canada from the US, one of the first questions you will ask is simple: where is the Canadian...
Technical Details Explained Clearly
Reference Guides
RRSP Accounts
How they work, what they’re worth, and what changes when you cross the border.
401(k) Rollover Options
Your options when leaving an employer, and how a cross-border move changes the math.
PFIC Information
What a Passive Foreign Investment Company is, why it matters for U.S. taxpayers in Canada, and what the reporting looks like.
U.S.-Canada Income Tax Treaty
The agreement that sits behind almost every cross-border financial decision, and why understanding it matters.
Cross-Border Trusts
How trusts are treated differently under Canadian and U.S. law, and what that means for your planning.
Canadian Retirement Account Info (RRSP vs TFSA)
RRSP vs. TFSA, including how each is viewed by the IRS and when one creates problems the other doesn’t.
U.S.-Canada Income Tax Treaty
When a Roth conversion makes sense across borders, and the coordination required to do it without triggering double taxation.