Cross-border tax, clarified.
Polaris Tax Counsel is a cross-border tax law firm. Our lawyers help businesses, investment funds, and individuals navigate tax issues that span the Canada-US border. Our expertise allows us to chart a course through the most complex issues our clients face. We’ve written four books, a variety of technical articles and are routinely asked to instruct a variety of audiences on cross-border tax issues.
Cross-border Tax Services
Tax Advice for U.S. Citizens in Canada
Renouncing U.S. Citizenship
Cross-border Estate Planning
Dealing with the IRS
Cross-Border Corporate Tax Planning
Supporting Accounting Firms
Our Cross-border Team
Max Reed
B.C.L., LL.B.
Principal
Cross-border Tax Lawyer
Max is the firm’s principal. He has published widely and developed a number of novel solutions to complex problems.
Charmaine Ko
J.D., LL.M. (US Tax)
Principal
Cross-border Tax Lawyer
Charmaine is a cross-border tax lawyer who leads the tax practice for Canadian resident US citizens.
Kirsten Wharton
J.D., TEP
Principal
Cross-border Estate Lawyer
Kirsten helps families with cross-border tax issues to ensure that their long-term goals are being met.
Dan Palmer
J.D.
Principal
Corporate and Tax Lawyer
Dan is a corporate and tax lawyer who helps business owners operate in the most tax-efficient way possible.
Jonah Spiegelman
J.D., M.A., B.Sc.
Principal
Cross-border Tax & Estate Planning Lawyer
Jonah is a cross-border tax and estate planning lawyer who helps navigate the complex legal and tax issues that come with having ties to both Canada and the United States.
Tanya Bartucz
M.Sc., J.D.
Principal
Ontario Cross-border Estate Lawyer
Tanya Bartucz is a cross-border trust and estates lawyer serving clients in Ontario.
Erin van Wesenbeeck
J.D.
Cross-border Tax Advisor
Erin advises on a wide range of cross-border tax issues for individuals and businesses in the US and Canada.
Amanda Chen
Paralegal
Amanda assists with drafting documents for clients in a variety of areas from corporate law to estate planning.
Janelle Prestley
Legal Administrative Assistant
Janelle assists with client intake, appointment scheduling, invoicing, and collections.
What’s New
2025 US Tax Reform – Proposed Section 899 is toxic
On May 12, 2025, the House Ways and Means Committee released the legislative text of the tax title of the Republican bill entitled “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” The bill was passed by the Ways and Means Committee and is moving forward. The final shape of the bill is to be determined, and several...
An Update on the NIIT Foreign Tax Credit
In an article published on October 24, 2023, we canvassed the unsettled landscape for Canadian-resident US citizens to claim foreign tax credit against their US Net Investment Income Tax (the “NIIT”) under the U.S.-Canada Treaty (the “Canada Treaty”). There have been some changes since that...
Will John Tavares have Double Tax Trouble?
NHL player John Tavares’ well-publicized litigation pending before the Tax Court of Canada demonstrates the principle that resolving cross-border tax disputes in a purely domestic fashion can be problematic. The facts of the case are straightforward and worth discussing briefly. Before getting...