FileAbroad

Amended expat return consultation

Found an Error in a Filed U.S. Expat Return? Map the Right Correction Before You Amend.

Form 1040-X is one correction tool, not the answer to every filed-return problem. Timing, the original filing, the error, affected forms, refund or balance, international reporting, IRS contact, and state consequences can point to different procedures. In a paid consultation, I review those facts to identify the correction questions, records, and preparation or referral path.

Start My Return Correction Intake

Send a free inquiry first. I review it personally and explain whether a paid assessment is appropriate before you book or pay.

30 minutes · $100 · directly with Chip

The consultation

What we'll review

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

Original filing and timeline

The filed return, filing method, acceptance or mailing record, extension, payment and refund dates, transcripts, IRS adjustments, prior amendments, and whether the original filing deadline has passed.

The error and connected calculations

What changed, which source record proves it, and how the change may affect income, deductions, credits, filing status, dependents, self-employment tax, elections, carryovers, or other parts of the return.

International and FBAR reporting

Foreign income, taxes, accounts, assets, funds, pensions, businesses, trusts, transfers, treaty positions, and the separate income-tax, information-return, and FinCEN correction channels they may create.

Refund, balance, and timing questions

The dates relevant to an ordinary refund claim, special limitation period, payment, interest, foreign-tax redetermination, or time-sensitive election, without treating every year as subject to the same rule.

Agency contact and next scope

Any IRS, state, or FinCEN notice, examination, investigation, prior corrective procedure, or representation need, followed by the preparation, research, response, or specialist path that fits the established facts.

After the call

What you leave with

By the end of the consultation, you'll have a clear map of the issues that need attention and the next practical step.

  • A correction-path map distinguishing a possible superseding or corrected return, ordinary amended return, separate FBAR or information-return correction, Streamlined or other compliance procedure, notice response, or specialist referral.
  • The affected tax years, forms, elections, carryovers, payments, and federal, international, FinCEN, or state channels that need coordinated review.
  • The filed returns, transcripts, source documents, foreign-tax records, acceptance evidence, and dated facts needed next, with secure-upload instructions only after intake.
  • Whether FileAbroad can accept the next stage, what the written preparation scope would include, or which tax, legal, state, valuation, or representation specialist 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.

Current pricing

Optional $100 scope assessment

30-Minute Expat Tax Scope Assessment

$100

Focused review of your filing situation with a written list of the years and forms that need attention, a document checklist, key scope flags, and an exact preparation quote when FileAbroad can accept the work.

Preparation is priced separately. A paid assessment is offered when substantive review is needed; it is not required for every preparation engagement. Straightforward tax-year-2025 federal expat returns start at $575, and standalone current-year FBAR preparation starts at $100. Prior-year, delinquent, amended, entity, trust, partnership, PFIC, Streamlined, and other complex international work is quoted after review.

See preparation services and pricing

The process

How the paid assessment 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 scheduling and payment link for the $100 30-minute consultation.

  4. 4

    We review the situation together.

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

  5. 5

    Preparation is separate.

    If FileAbroad can accept preparation work, you receive the written scope and price before preparation begins.

Before you book

Questions we'll use to map your return correction

Which tax year or years are involved, what federal and state returns or international forms were filed, when and how were they filed, and do you have the filed copies, acceptance records, transcripts, and any prior amendments?
What did you discover after filing — a corrected statement, omitted or duplicated income, foreign tax, FEIE or FTC issue, filing-status or dependent issue, account or asset, pension, business, trust, investment, sale, carryover, election, or preparer or software error?
What could the correction change — taxable income, tax due, refund, credit, carryover, election, international information return, FBAR, state return, or foreign-tax filing — and which source record supports the change?
Has the IRS, a state, FinCEN, or another agency contacted you about the year; is there an examination, investigation, proposed adjustment, deadline, prior Streamlined or disclosure submission, or earlier correction attempt?
On what dates were the original return filed and tax paid, was a refund issued or offset, is the original return still processing, and what filing, payment, foreign-tax, notice, or refund-claim date is approaching?
Do I need a paid assessment before hiring FileAbroad?

Not for every engagement. Start with a brief intake to discuss needs, timing, process, and pricing. Straightforward preparation can proceed directly to an accepted written scope. A paid assessment is offered when substantive review is needed, with the fee explained before you decide.

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

Amending a U.S. return from abroad

Review the difference between a correction filing, a refund claim, an assessment period, and a separate reporting channel.

Amending a prior return for the FEIE

Review the election, qualification, Form 2555, refund-period, and connected-credit questions before assuming an FEIE amendment works.

Expat tax guide

See how income tax, residence, foreign taxes, accounts, assets, state rules, and prior filings fit into one U.S. expat return.

IRS notices for Americans abroad

Use the notice instructions and response deadline first when the IRS has already contacted you about the year.

Streamlined consultation

Use this path when the established concern is broader non-willful offshore noncompliance that may require a complete Streamlined submission.

FBAR catch-up consultation

Use this path when a missed or incomplete FinCEN Form 114 is the established primary issue and the corresponding tax returns need screening.

Expat tax return preparation

Review the preparation service after the years, forms, records, and corrective filing scope have been accepted in writing.

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 intake or a paid assessment is the appropriate next step.

Start My Return Correction Intake

Prefer email? info@fileabroad.com

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