FileAbroad

Tax treaty position consultation

Relying on a U.S. Tax Treaty? Map the Article, Saving Clause, and Disclosure Before You File.

A treaty position starts with the U.S. rule that would apply without the treaty, then the treaty and protocol in force, your status and eligibility, the exact income or transaction, the saving clause, and any disclosure. In a paid consultation, I map those facts, identify the records and return work required, and determine whether the next step fits FileAbroad or needs a treaty specialist.

Start My Treaty Position 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.

Treaty in force and taxpayer status

The country, tax year, effective treaty and protocol, citizenship, green-card, domestic residence, treaty residence, and other threshold eligibility facts.

Domestic-law baseline

The income, source, recipient, tax, withholding, return, or information-reporting result that would apply before relying on a treaty.

Article, saving clause, and eligibility

The exact article and protocol, income or transaction classification, saving-clause treatment, exceptions, beneficial ownership, and limitation-on-benefits questions.

Tax calculation and disclosure map

How the proposed position may change tax, rate, source, residence, or foreign tax credits and whether Form 8833 or another return/disclosure requires further work.

Prior positions and next scope

Prior returns, payer coding, withholding forms, foreign tax evidence, notices, inconsistencies, and whether preparation, amendment, notice response, or specialist referral is the next step.

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 one-position treaty map from domestic law through the treaty article, status, saving clause, calculation, disclosure, and affected return.
  • A prioritized source and record list, including the treaty/protocol version and the facts that remain unverified.
  • Clear routing to FileAbroad preparation, FEIE/FTC, green-card, pension, totalization, notice, foreign-adviser, or treaty-specialist work.
  • If FileAbroad can accept the return work, a separate written scope is defined before research or preparation begins.

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 treaty position

Which country and tax year are involved, and which treaty, protocol, article, technical explanation, or other official source do you believe applies?
What were your U.S. citizenship, green-card, substantial-presence, foreign domestic-law residence, and treaty-residence facts for that year?
What exact income, payment, pension, account, transaction, business activity, property, or withholding item would be treated differently under the proposed treaty position?
What is the U.S. domestic-law result without the treaty, what foreign tax or treatment applies, and how would the treaty change the tax, source, rate, residence, or reporting result?
Which Forms 1040, 1040-NR, 8833, 1116, 2555, withholding forms, information returns, prior positions, or IRS notices are connected to the issue?
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

U.S. tax treaties guide

Review domestic law, treaty residence, income articles, saving clauses, disclosure, and double-tax relief in the correct order.

Form 8833 guide

Understand the treaty-based return-position disclosure after the substantive treaty position is supported.

Foreign tax credit consultation

Use this path when foreign income tax, source, Form 1116 categories, limitations, or carryovers—not a treaty override—is central.

Green card holder abroad consultation

Map the lawful-permanent-resident timeline before a treaty-residence claim that could affect U.S. status or expatriation.

Foreign pension consultation

Classify the plan, contributions, growth, distributions, accounts, and forms before selecting a pension treaty article.

Totalization consultation

Review social-security coverage and certificates under a separate international social-security agreement.

IRS notice abroad consultation

Start with the notice, deadline, account record, and response boundary when the IRS has already challenged or adjusted a position.

Expat tax filing service

Proceed to preparation only after the treaty position, required records, reviewer, forms, and scope are confirmed.

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 Treaty Position Intake

Prefer email? info@fileabroad.com

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