FileAbroad

Accidental American consultation

Born in the U.S. but Never Lived There? You May Have Lifetime Filing Obligations You Never Knew About.

If you were born in the U.S. but never lived there, or born abroad to a U.S. parent who never filed for you, you may be a U.S. citizen with lifetime filing obligations. The accidental American path involves compliance, possible treaty relief, and often renunciation. In a paid consultation, I review your birth circumstances, filing history, and goals to map whether Streamlined, FEIE, treaty relief, or renunciation is the appropriate path.

Start My Accidental American Intake

The preliminary intake is free. Do not send sensitive tax documents through the public intake form.

30 minutes · Directly with Chip

The consultation

What we'll review

The consultation focuses on the facts that determine what needs further attention.

Citizenship and birth facts

Birth location, parental citizenship, acquisition of U.S. citizenship at birth, and whether a U.S. passport or SSN was ever issued.

Filing and FBAR history

Whether any U.S. returns or FBARs were filed previously, and if so, for which years and under what circumstances.

Income and treaty position

Current income sources, host-country tax treatment, and whether the FEIE or an income-tax treaty reduces or eliminates U.S. tax liability.

Foreign accounts and assets

Bank accounts, investments, pensions, and net worth that may trigger FBAR, Form 8938, or exit-tax analysis if renunciation is considered.

Goal and timeline

Whether the objective is compliance, renunciation, or both; the urgency; and whether a consular appointment or Streamlined timeline is already in motion.

After the call

What you leave with

By the end of the consultation, you should understand the issues that need attention and the next practical step.

  • A map of your U.S. citizenship status, filing history, and the compliance path that fits your situation.
  • The records needed before any preparation or filing decision.
  • Whether Streamlined, FEIE, treaty relief, or renunciation is the appropriate next step.
  • Whether FileAbroad can accept the work or a specialist referral is needed.

You are not required to hire FileAbroad for preparation after the consultation.

Scope

What the consultation does not include

The consultation is a review and scoping session. It does not include preparation or filing of a tax return, FBAR, information return, amended return, or Streamlined submission.

It also does not create an open-ended support engagement. Additional research, document review, preparation, or follow-up work is included only when it is specifically agreed or purchased.

FileAbroad does not provide legal advice or tax litigation services.

The process

How it works

  1. 1

    Start the intake.

    Tell me the broad facts of your situation without uploading sensitive tax documents through the public form.

  2. 2

    I review the inquiry.

    I personally review the intake to determine whether a FileAbroad consultation appears appropriate.

  3. 3

    Book the consultation.

    If the situation fits, you'll receive the next step for scheduling the 30-minute paid consultation.

  4. 4

    We review the situation together.

    We use the call to identify the relevant filing questions, missing information, and practical next step.

  5. 5

    Preparation is separate.

    If FileAbroad can accept preparation work, the scope and price are confirmed before that work begins.

Before you book

Questions we'll use to map your accidental American path

Where were you born, what is your current citizenship, and do you hold a U.S. passport or Social Security number?
Have any U.S. federal income tax returns or FBARs ever been filed on your behalf?
Are you seeking compliance-only, a certificate of loss of nationality, or both — and what is your timeline?
Do you earn income abroad that may qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or a tax treaty benefit?
Do you have foreign accounts, investments, or a net worth that may trigger FBAR, FATCA, or exit-tax questions?
What should I send before the consultation?

Start with the public intake and describe the broad facts of your situation. Do not send Social Security numbers, tax returns, bank statements, or other sensitive tax documents through the public intake form. If documents are needed later, I will provide secure upload instructions.

Will you tell me exactly what I need to file?

The consultation is designed to identify the filing issues that need attention and the information required to determine the next step. Some questions can be resolved during the call; others may require records, additional research, or preparation work outside the consultation.

Do I have to hire FileAbroad afterward?

No. The consultation stands on its own. If FileAbroad can accept preparation work, you can decide whether to proceed after the scope and price are confirmed.

Can you review documents during the consultation?

Limited document review may be possible when agreed in advance, but the consultation is not a substitute for a full document review or tax-preparation engagement.

Related paths

If this is not the right starting point

Streamlined consultation

Use the Streamlined path when catching up on prior filings appears to be the right procedure.

Renunciation consultation

Use the renunciation path when you are considering expatriation and need to map exit-tax exposure.

Expat tax filing service

See the broader preparation service when ongoing compliance is the accepted scope.

Start here

Tell me what's going on.

You don't need to know which form, filing procedure, or service you need. Start with the broad facts, and I'll review whether a FileAbroad consultation is the appropriate next step.

Start My Accidental American Intake

Prefer email? info@fileabroad.com

Do not send sensitive tax documents through the public intake form or ordinary email.