The United States taxes not just individuals living in the
United States, but also U.S. citizens and residents living abroad.
It is possible to be a resident of the United States, even if you
live in Canada, for instance, by holding a 'green
card'.
There are many Americans (living in the U.S., Canada and third
countries) who hold individual Canadian retirement accounts. These
accounts come in a range of flavours. The ones addressed here
include:
- Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)
- Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF)
- Locked-in Retirement Account (LIRA)
- Life Income Fund (LIF)
- Locked-in Retirement Income Fund (LRIF)
There is some uncertainty as to whether a 'group' RRSP
would fall into this category. This is a very technical question
that is not addressed in this blog.