Working in both Australia and US - How to handle dual-country taxation?

This is definitely complex but not unusual! I've worked with several clients in similar situations. Here's what you need to know: For your employment income, the US-Canada tax treaty indeed allows for Foreign Tax Credits, but you'll likely still face some tax liability in both countries. Your Canadian employer doesn't need to do anything special for your documents - they'll issue normal tax forms. However, you should inform them of your US residency status as it might affect their withholding obligations. To estimate additional US tax, compare the tax rates between Georgia and Canada for your income brackets. If Canadian rates are higher, you'll likely have sufficient credits to offset US tax. If US rates are higher, you'll owe the difference. For your PFICs (foreign investments), the taxation can be punitive under US rules. The reason you were advised to sell for longer stays is that PFIC taxation often results in the highest possible ordinary income rates plus an interest charge on deferred tax. There's no simple calculation as it depends on holding period and performance history. For your rental property, you'll report the income on both returns, but can claim FTCs for taxes paid. Don't forget to properly depreciate the property on your US return, which might differ from Canadian treatment.

After reading your post, I had to share my experience with a similar situation last year. I was working between the UK and US, and the tax paperwork was giving me serious headaches until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). It really helped me understand my situation better. The platform analyzed all my documents from both countries and explained exactly how the tax treaty applied to my specific situation. What I found particularly helpful was their explanation of Foreign Tax Credits and how they calculated potential tax liabilities in both countries. For your PFIC concerns, they have specialized guidance on that too. I had some foreign mutual funds that qualified as PFICs, and they helped me understand the exact tax implications and reporting requirements.

I wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai since I decided to give it a try after seeing it mentioned here. I'm honestly impressed with how it handled my US/German tax situation! The document analysis feature saved me hours of trying to figure out which German tax documents corresponded to which US requirements. It automatically identified my German investment accounts that qualified as PFICs and walked me through the reporting process. What I found most valuable was the treaty benefit calculator that showed me exactly how much foreign tax credit I could claim and how it would affect my overall tax liability. My estimated tax payment calculations were also much clearer. I ended up showing the results to my accountant who was surprised by how comprehensive it was. We still filed together, but his fee was about 60% less than last year since I had already done most of the heavy lifting.

I see you're dealing with the dreaded international tax situation - been there! After spending WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS international tax department with questions about my UK/US situation, I finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual IRS agent who specializes in international tax issues in under 15 minutes. I was honestly shocked it worked so well. The IRS agent walked me through how the tax treaty specifically applied to my situation and explained exactly how to report foreign rental income properly. She even emailed me the specific publications I needed to reference. Check out their demo video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Before this, I had literally spent hours listening to the "your call is important to us" message only to get disconnected.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr being a scam. After posting that comment, I was still desperate for answers about my foreign income situation, so I decided to try it anyway. It actually worked! I got connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes (on a Monday morning). The agent was able to answer my specific questions about the foreign housing exclusion and gave me detailed guidance on how to properly report my German pension contributions on my US return. What impressed me most was that the agent took time to explain which forms I needed and even emailed me links to specific IRS publications that addressed my situation. This would have taken me weeks to research on my own. For anyone dealing with international tax issues, it's definitely worth using to get authoritative answers directly from the IRS.

One thing I didn't see mentioned yet is state taxation. Remember that while the US has tax treaties at the federal level, many states don't recognize these treaties! When I was working between Canada and Minnesota, I ended up with unexpected state tax liability despite having foreign tax credits at the federal level. Check if Georgia has any special provisions for international workers or if they fully tax worldwide income. Some states are more aggressive than others in taxing international income.

Quick tip about PFICs - if your total foreign assets are under $50k for a single filer or $100k for joint filers, you might not need to file Form 8938 (FATCA reporting). But you likely still need to file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) if your foreign accounts exceeded $10k at any point during the year. For the PFIC specifically, consider making a QEF election if possible (depends on if the fund will provide you with an annual information statement). It's generally better tax treatment than the default PFIC rules.