FileAbroad

Foreign trust consultation

Involved With a Foreign Trust or Foundation? Map the U.S. Reporting Before You File.

Foreign trusts, foundations, and trust-like family wealth structures can create U.S. income-tax and information-reporting questions that depend on the governing arrangement, the people involved, and the transactions that occurred. In a paid consultation, I review the structure, roles, available governing documents, transfers, distributions, loans, and prior filings to identify what requires further analysis and map the appropriate next step.

Start My Foreign Trust 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.

Arrangement and governing law

The legal form, country, governing instrument, trust or foundation terms, and facts needed to determine which classification questions require further analysis.

People and U.S. roles

Creators, settlors, contributors, owners, trustees, protectors, beneficiaries, related persons, and changes in those roles during each relevant year.

Transfers and transactions

Contributions, transfers, distributions, loans, use of property, appointments, terminations, and other events that may affect income or information reporting.

Documents and financial records

The deed or charter, amendments, financial statements, owner or beneficiary statements, transaction records, and translations available for a later accepted review.

Prior reporting and next scope

Forms 3520, 3520-A, 8938, FBARs, related income reporting, unresolved years or notices, and whether FileAbroad can accept preparation or specialist analysis is needed.

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 classification map of the arrangement, your role, and the transactions that control the next analysis.
  • The U.S. reporting questions that require further analysis before any form is selected.
  • The records needed before a preparation or filing decision can be made.
  • Whether FileAbroad can accept the next stage 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.

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 foreign trust situation

What foreign trust, foundation, or other trust-like family wealth arrangement are you involved with, in which country was it established, and what governing law applies?
What is your relationship to the arrangement — creator, settlor, contributor, owner, trustee, protector, beneficiary, or another role — and when did that relationship begin or change?
What contributions, transfers, distributions, loans, use of property, appointments, terminations, or other transactions occurred, and in which years?
What trust deed, foundation charter, amendments, financial statements, owner or beneficiary statements, and transaction records are available?
Which Forms 3520, 3520-A, 8938, FBARs, income schedules, or other U.S. filings were made for the arrangement, and are any years, notices, or deadlines unresolved?
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

Foreign inheritance consultation

Use the inheritance path when property passed directly from a foreign estate or decedent and death, succession, valuation, basis, or inherited assets are primary.

Foreign gift consultation

Use the gift path when a foreign individual or estate—not a trust—made the transfer.

Foreign pension consultation

Use the pension path when a retirement plan’s classification, contributions, earnings, treaty treatment, or distributions are primary.

Foreign life insurance consultation

Use the policy path when an insurer-issued contract, ownership, cash value, investments, premiums, or policy transactions are primary.

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 Foreign Trust Intake

Prefer email? info@fileabroad.com

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