Tax and other financial matters concerning Canadian professionals
in the U.S. and U.S. citizens in Canada Includes income and estate taxation, social security, health
insurance, retirement accounts, cross border tax issues, and other matters affecting your pocketbook.
Topic Administrator: Mark T. Serbinski, CA, CPA of Serbinski
Weinberg, Ltd. CPA's and Serbinski Partners, Chartered Accountants
Hi there. I am in the US on a TN. I also have a hobby website (devoted to vintage cars). I don't sell the cars, nor try to make a profit, it is purely informational. However, I have the option to run a few ads on the site (Google Ads) that could help offset the hosting costs. Google requires your SSN to report any income they pay you... is this possible on a TN? I don't want to jeopardize my TN, but am not sure if this would be counted as a second job, as I am effectively doing it for a hobby, and am 'self-employed' in that I own the website.
Not sure as I know capital gains are OK for TN people, but not if secondary income is the same.
Thanks.
If you're concerned about TN status, couldn't you tell them you are a foreign citizen, and have them take a withholding tax, like Vegas casinos?
Withholding and paying tax is not the issue here.
The issue is whether the 'work' being done for this website is 'passive' enough to qualify as an investment rather than actual work.
Regardless if he is violating his TN status or not, he would still report the income.
The question of whether he is violating his TN is best left to the 'other' board.