Free tool for Canadian snowbirds
Snowbird Day Counter: how many days can a Canadian stay in the US?
Spend too many days south of the border and the IRS can treat you as a US tax resident, even if you were never there 183 days in a single year. Use the free calendar below to count your US days across the rolling three-year Substantial Presence window and see how close you are to the line.
Count your US days
Mark every day you spent away from Canada. The math behind the summary card switches based on where you winter.
Plan ahead: mark future trips now. Each day starts counting once its tax year arrives.
Your snowbird verdict is a Full Citizen feature.
Enter your days above, then unlock to see exactly how close you are to the US tax residency line and the CRA threshold.
Snowbird tax-day questions, answered
- How many days can a Canadian stay in the US without becoming a tax resident?
- The IRS Substantial Presence Test counts every US day this year, plus one-third of last year's days, plus one-sixth of the days from two years ago. If that weighted total reaches 183, the IRS can treat you as a US tax resident even if you were never physically there 183 days in any single year. As a rule of thumb, staying under roughly 120 days a year keeps the three-year weighted total under 183.
- What is the snowbird 183-day rule?
- The 183-day rule is shorthand for the IRS Substantial Presence Test. It is not a single calendar of 183 days. It is a weighted three-year formula: current-year days plus one-third of the prior year plus one-sixth of the year before that. Snowbirds who cross 183 weighted days but keep a closer connection to Canada can file IRS Form 8840 (Closer Connection Exception) to stay a non-resident, but it must be filed on time every year.
- Will I lose my provincial health coverage if I winter in the US?
- It depends on your province. Each province sets a minimum number of months you must be physically present to keep your health card. Quebec (RAMQ) is the strictest at 183 days in the calendar year; Newfoundland only requires four months. A typical six-month winter is fine in most provinces, but the margins are tight in Quebec and Ontario. See your provincial residency rules.
- Is this snowbird day counter free?
- Yes. The day counter is free to use on the web with no signup. A saved day-by-day log, threshold alerts before you cross the line, and a downloadable CSV for your accountant are inside the Being Canadian iOS app for $79/year after a 7-day free trial.
This counter is a research tool, not tax advice. The Substantial Presence Test has exceptions (Form 8840, the Canada-US tax treaty tie-breaker) that depend on your situation. Talk to a cross-border tax accountant before acting.