What the TFSA Fine Print Says About Holding U.S. Stocks

By Amy Legate-Wolfe at The Motley Fool Canada

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) “tax-free” label becomes slightly less enthusiastic at the U.S. border. Hold an American dividend stock inside the account and the Internal Revenue Service can still keep $0.15 from every dollar it pays. Apparently, even tax-free income needs a passport.

Yet Canadians can hold many U.S. stocks inside a TFSA. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) permits securities listed on designated exchanges, including the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange.

Right now, the 2026 TFSA limit is $7,000, although unused room carries forward and previous-year withdrawals return as room the following calendar year. Investment growth doesn’t consume additional room, while losses don’t create more. Investors should always verify their personal limit before contributing.

Where the border takes a bite

For most Canadian residents, capital gains and investment income earned in a TFSA remain tax-free in Canada. The United States takes a different view of dividends. A valid W-8BEN form generally reduces U.S. withholding from 30% to the 15% treaty rate.

A US$100 dividend would therefore deposit only US$85. The missing US$15 generally can’t be recovered through a foreign tax credit because TFSA income isn’t reported on a Canadian tax return. That little border toll simply reduces the amount available to reinvest.

A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) receives better treaty treatment. Dividends from directly held U.S. stocks are generally exempt from U.S. withholding inside qualifying retirement accounts, while TFSAs don’t receive that exemption. A Canadian-listed exchange-traded fund (ETF) may still lose withholding tax internally when it owns American stocks.

Currency conversion adds another cost. Direct shares of U.S. corporations can also become U.S.-situated estate assets, with a filing requirement potentially arising once those assets exceed US$60,000. Treaties may provide relief, so crossing that line doesn’t automatically mean tax is payable.

A Canadian route around the fine print

Investors don’t need to cross the border for technology growth. Shopify (TSX:SHOP) is a Canadian company available in Canadian dollars on the TSX. It currently pays no dividend, leaving TFSA investors to pursue capital appreciation without foreign withholding nibbling at the return.

Shopify stock provides the software businesses use to create online stores, process payments, manage inventory, advertise products, and sell through physical locations and social platforms. Its expanding artificial intelligence (AI) tools also help merchants build storefronts, create content, and reach shoppers through AI assistants.

First-quarter revenue increased 34%, while Shopify stock produced a 15% free cash flow margin. That combination suggests the company can continue investing in AI while converting a meaningful portion of sales into cash.

Considerations

Management reinforced that confidence in June by expanding Shopify stock’s share-repurchase authorization to US$5 billion. Second-quarter results arrive August 5, when investors will discover whether revenue can maintain the high-twenties growth rate management forecast.

Yet it’s not cheap. Shopify stock recently traded near 109 times trailing earnings. That valuation leaves little patience for slowing growth. Competition from larger technology companies, weaker consumer spending, expensive AI development, or disappointing merchant growth could send the shares lower.

One technology stock also shouldn’t consume an entire TFSA. Investors buying stocks in Canada could build Shopify stock gradually alongside profitable dividend stocks, ETFs, and other sectors rather than betting the account on one very ambitious shopping cart.

Bottom line

U.S. stocks can still provide valuable diversification, provided investors understand the withholding, currency, and estate rules. Yet if Shopify stock keeps combining rapid growth with rising cash flow, its TSX shares could deliver years of TFSA growth without handing the IRS its regular little snack.

The post What the TFSA Fine Print Says About Holding U.S. Stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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