Filing the 8840 "closer connection form"

[MPI_Mallard]

Last year when several threads were posted about the 8840 "closer connection form" I was asking some of the full-timer snow-birds around my resort about it and was told a solid "no way are we filling out that form, the IRS doesn't need to know all that info about us" (a lot of that came from my very own Frau Blücher!). After reading this article click and being told by our very wise and all knowing tax lady we'll be filling out the 8840 "closer connection form" this year but when should we file/send it and can we do it online?


Red Green:
A friend will bail you out of jail, but a good
friend will be sitting beside you saying "Man,
that was fun!

[silversand]

I know of two people who have been contacted over the last 18 months and it's not fun when you have to hire a tax lawyer to work everything out on your behalf. I think people are niave when they scoff at the subject.

A really good tax attorney can cost you $250+++ per hour.

....not to mention the $10,000 penalty retroactive for every year this form hadn't been filed if the IRS determines (from your passport in/out bar code swipes) that you apparently should have been filing a US tax return.

When we start approaching the 3-year cumulative "test" for foreign residency for US tax purposes, you can bet we'll be filling out that form. The down-side to not doing so is too hellacious to contemplate.

Good luck,
S-

[toban]

Form 8840 has to filed and postmarked no later than June 15th for the previous years days in the USA every year if you are over the formula number of days over for a 3 year period. When people say, I'm not giving them all that information, it tells me they are uninformed about the form itself and probably have never looked at it. The questions are not probing at all. The only thing they ask for is your passport number and they have that anyway.

I know of two people who have been contacted over the last 18 months and it's not fun when you have to hire a tax lawyer to work everything out on your behalf. I think people are niave when they scoff at the subject.

Toban

[MPI_Mallard]

This being out third winter snow-birding I didn't even know about the 8840 form until I read it here last year in this forum and after finding out why I should now I see that the come-what-may attitude towards filing that form by other Canadian snow-birds I have spoken to is not the way to think, I've always considered going into the United States as the same as being welcomed into someones home and I make it a point to do what's asked of me by that government and if a passport and a small form sent in at their request is all they ask for letting me sun my fat Irish tuches in sunny St.Cloud no sweat!!

[Impulse24]

Now you may think its Tax evasion and Illegal not to file? However judging by your signature I presume so long as you have a real friend? Jail is no deterrent....:B


http://www.docstoc.com/docs/412396/IRS-Forms----8840---Closer-Connection-Exception-Statement-for-Aliens

[Fizz]

If I remember right. It has to be MAILED in by July 1st.
Keep a copy for yourself, makes it easier next year to copy the info on that years form.