What Canadians Need to Know About US Tax Recovery
If you’re a Canadian resident planning on visiting the US for a fun-filled weekend of gambling and adventures, then there’s something really important that you need to know before you pack your bags. Did you know that there is a 30% tax withholding fee applied to non-US gamblers? My husband and I actually didn’t and we wound up finding out the hard way. Don’t let the same thing happen to you!
Our Story
Last year, we finally got to take our dream vacation. I’d wanted to see Las Vegas for so long, but we just hadn’t been able to save up the. You can probably imagine how happy I was, when my husband surprised me with two tickets to stay at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for a whole week, when my birthday came around!
Naturally, I was thrilled when the time came to actually take the trip and Las Vegas turned out to be every bit as much fun as I’d dreamed it would be. I love my home in Canada, but there was just something about visiting a fantasy world like Las. I even got to enjoy that fabled case of “beginner’s luck” you often hear about. I actually won not one, but several jackpots during the week I was there! It was amazing and I can tell you right now that winning that big is every bit as sweet and exhilarating as you would imagine it is. There’s no feeling in the world like it.
However, my excitement was short-lived indeed. When it came time to fill out the paperwork claim my winnings, I found out about the 30% withholding tax I would have to pay to the IRS. I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what actually would have been enough to pay off the mortgage on our home actually wound up being much less thanks to these taxes. Naturally, this was a huge disappointment.
Thankfully, there was a silver lining that I didn’t know about at the time. When we got back to Canada, my husband took it upon himself to do a little research into what, if anything, could be done about the tax issues I had experienced. That’s when he found out about a little something called US tax recovery and I’m so glad that he did.
What Is US Tax Recovery?
If you have no idea what US tax recovery is, then you’re not alone. I didn’t either. However, if you’re planning a trip to the US to spend some time at the casinos the way I was, you’ll need to know about it in the event you actually win any money.
Canadians and other non-US residents are actually eligible for a refund on these sky-high taxes thanks to a foreign tax treaty America has with many nations (Canada included), so if you’re worried about losing a huge chunk of your winnings the way I did and not being able to get it back, don’t be.
The refunds in question can be partial or all the tax paid on your gambling winnings. You are eligible to apply for these refunds at any time up to three years after you’ve won, so if you’ve lost US casino winnings to Las Vegas taxes within that span of time, get the ball rolling today.
Choose a Good Agency to Help You
Although there are a number of different ways you can go about collecting on your refund, I whole-heartedly recommend enlisting the help of a good third party agency to help you recover your casino winnings. One such agency is US Tax Recovery. There is more red tape involved in this process than you might think and letting an expert handle the process for you helps to ensure that you’ll recover as much of the tax paid on your winnings as possible; quickly, simply, and easily.
Choose a tax recovery company that is an authorized IRS certifying acceptance agent for the best results. They’ll be able to handle all of the necessary paperwork, filing, and documentation necessary to get the process started for non-US residents. There’s no need for you to ever file a form or deal with the IRS from your neck of the woods in Canada. The process is handled efficiently for you from beginning to end. All you need to do is sit back and wait to hear that your winnings are finally coming to you.
The Day We Got Our Refund
Our agent was knowledgeable, friendly, and efficient. After looking into our situation and going over our paperwork, she told us she could get us a refund in full for the entire 30% of the casino winnings tax. I hoped she was telling the truth, but I tried not to get my hopes up. After all, it just sounded too good to be true. However, my fears were soon to be put to rest. Our agent made good on her promises and I received my refund approximately three months after starting the process. I couldn’t believe it! Not only did I have back the money I’d won, but I got it quickly, inexpensively, and with absolutely no hassle or . I was able to go to the bank and pay off our mortgage the very next day. What a feeling!
In Conclusion
I can’t say enough about US tax recovery at the end of the day. My only regret is not having found out about it before we went to Las Vegas so that the hubby and I could have been spared the headache and disappointment attached to the original tax withholding. That said, it’s imperative, if you’re planning on visiting the US and doing a little gambling, that you have the number of a US tax recovery agent on speed dial. You’ll be so glad you did!