In this video segment, Terry Ritchie, cross-border tax and estate planning expert, discusses how a new measure in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” could result in a surprise for U.S. citizens living in Canada. Effective for 2013, a 3.8% surtax will be imposed on passive income such as interest, dividends, rental property, and capital gains.
As Ritchie points out, the challenge is that foreign tax credits will likely not offset the 3.8% Obamacare tax on net investment income. This means that individuals earning more than $125K and couples earning more than $250K may be taxed on passive income for the first time in 2013. Ritchie asserts that there are no clear options to avoid or minimize the surtax at the moment, so advisors are wise to make their clients aware of this measure.