Office at 10-15518 103A Ave, Surrey, BC

A US-Licensed CPA, Based in Surrey

Most Surrey accountants refer US tax work out. We don’t — because our founding partner is a US CPA who lives and works right here, and also holds the India CA. If your finances cross the US border (or reach back to India), your filings can be handled by one local firm instead of three.

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Quick answer

Is there a US-licensed CPA based in Surrey, BC?

Yes. Gurleen Kaur, founding partner of Illuminous Accounting, is a US-licensed CPA physically based in Surrey, BC — a rare combination in the Surrey and Greater Vancouver market, where most US tax work gets referred out to firms in the United States. She also holds the India CA credential, which means US, Canadian, and Indian filings can be coordinated by one advisor instead of three separate firms. Her background includes Deloitte and Grant Thornton. The firm’s Surrey office is at 10-15518 103A Ave, and it handles FBAR and FATCA reporting, Form 5471 and Form 5472 compliance, US LLC problems for Canadian residents, snowbird planning, and NRI tax filings.

The Surrey Situations We See Every Week

Surrey sits closer to the US border than almost any other major Canadian city — and it has one of Canada’s largest Indian communities. That combination creates cross-border tax situations most local accountants aren’t licensed to handle.

You own a US LLC

A Surrey resident with a US LLC faces the automatic $25,000/year Form 5472 penalty for missed filings — and worse, the CRA treats that LLC as a foreign corporation, creating double taxation most owners don't discover until it's expensive.

You're a US person with Indian accounts

US citizens and green card holders in Surrey with NRE/NRO accounts or Indian mutual funds carry FBAR and FATCA obligations and PFIC exposure. Missed years can be fixed through streamlined procedures — often with no penalty.

You winter in the US

BC snowbirds who cross 120+ days a year can accidentally become US tax residents under the Substantial Presence Test. Form 8840 day-count planning keeps your winters without the US worldwide-income tax bill.

Your family spans three countries

Property in India, residency in Surrey, a business or job touching the US. From selling property in India to coordinating DTAA credits across all three returns, we file on every side and make the positions reconcile.

You're expanding into the US

BC founders opening a US entity face entity-choice decisions with permanent consequences — and LCGE/QSBC protection and E-2 visa structuring questions most firms have never handled.

You're a Surrey startup

CPA-led monthly bookkeeping from $299/mo — the same price as a local bookkeeper, with a US-and-Canada-licensed team behind it if your business ever crosses the border.

Your Surrey-Based Cross-Border Partner

Gurleen Kaur, US CPA and India CA based in Surrey, BC

Gurleen Kaur

CPA (USA) • CA (India) • Based in Surrey, BC

Previously at Deloitte and Grant Thornton

Gurleen is one of the few US-licensed CPAs physically based in Surrey — and one of very few anywhere who pairs the US CPA with the India CA. For families and business owners whose finances span the US, Canada, and India, that means one advisor who understands how a filing position in one country lands in the other two, instead of three firms working blind.

She leads the firm's cross-border individual tax, FBAR/FATCA/PFIC reporting, streamlined catch-up filings, NRI compliance, and nonprofit work — with Big-4 training behind every file.

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3 countries

US, Canada & India filings

Flat fees

Quoted before work starts

One firm

No referring out US work

Common Questions

Why do I need a US CPA if I live in Surrey?
Because a Canadian CPA cannot prepare or sign US federal tax filings, and most Surrey accountants refer US work out. If you are a US citizen or green card holder living in BC, own a US LLC, work across the border, spend winters in the US, or have US rental property, you have US filing obligations — FBAR, Form 8938, Form 5471, Form 5472, or Form 1040/1040-NR — with penalties that start at $10,000 to $25,000 for missed information returns. A US-licensed CPA handles those filings directly and coordinates them with your Canadian return so nothing is taxed twice.
Can you handle US, Canadian, and Indian filings together?
Yes — that is the firm's core specialty. Many Surrey families have income or assets in all three countries: Indian bank accounts and mutual funds (FBAR and PFIC exposure for US persons), Canadian residency, and US work or business ties. We prepare the US filings, coordinate the Canadian side, and work directly with Indian CAs on ITR filings and Form 67 so the foreign tax credit positions reconcile in every jurisdiction under the India-US DTAA.
Do US citizens living in Surrey need to file an FBAR?
Yes. A US citizen or green card holder living in Surrey, BC must file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) if the combined value of their non-US financial accounts — Canadian bank accounts, Indian NRE/NRO accounts, TFSAs, and investment accounts — exceeds $10,000 USD at any point during the calendar year. The threshold applies to the aggregate of all accounts, not each account individually. Canadian and Indian mutual funds held by US persons also typically trigger PFIC reporting on Form 8621, and higher balances require FATCA Form 8938 — see our full FBAR & FATCA guide. Missed years can usually be corrected through streamlined procedures, often with no penalty.
What does a cross-border engagement cost?
We work on flat-fee engagements scoped in a free 30-minute discovery call — you leave the call with a written summary and a fixed quote before any work starts. Costs depend on the number of filings and jurisdictions involved: a single delinquent Form 5472, a multi-year streamlined catch-up, and an ongoing three-country family engagement are very different scopes. We also offer startup bookkeeping from $299/month for businesses that need ongoing monthly accounting.
Do I have to come into the Surrey office?
No — most engagements run fully remotely through secure document sharing and video calls, and we serve clients across BC, the US, and India. But if you prefer to sit down with your accountant in person, the option exists: the office is at 10-15518 103A Ave, Surrey, and meetings are available by appointment.

Cross-border tax, handled locally.

A free 30-minute call maps your jurisdictions, filings, and gaps — and you leave with a written summary and a flat-fee quote.

Book a Free Discovery Call

+1 (778) 325-0564 • [email protected] • 10-15518 103A Ave, Surrey, BC