U.S. EXPAT TAX SERVICES
Tax preparation for Americans living abroad.
FileAbroad prepares U.S. federal individual income-tax returns and international reporting for Americans living outside the United States.
Every engagement begins with a consultation. I review the facts, determine whether the work fits FileAbroad, and confirm the forms, years, records, scope, and price before preparation begins.
Annual U.S. Tax Returns
Federal income-tax preparation for Americans living abroad.
Depending on the facts and agreed scope, a return may involve:
- Form 1040
- Foreign Earned Income Exclusion — Form 2555
- Foreign Tax Credit — Form 1116
- Schedule C for self-employment
- Additional schedules and international reporting
FBAR
Preparation of FinCEN Form 114 for taxpayers with reportable foreign financial accounts.
I review the accounts involved, ownership or signature authority, maximum account values, and filing years before preparing the FBAR.
For clients with prior-year filing problems, I determine the appropriate scope before accepting catch-up work.
Form 8938 / FATCA
Preparation of Form 8938 when specified foreign financial assets and the taxpayer's filing circumstances create a reporting requirement.
Form 8938 is filed with the federal income-tax return and is separate from the FBAR. Some taxpayers may have to file one, both, or neither depending on their circumstances.
Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures
Preparation for qualifying taxpayers using the IRS Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures to address prior U.S. tax and foreign-account filing failures.
A Streamlined engagement requires more than preparing old returns. Eligibility and non-willfulness need to be evaluated before I accept the work.
If the engagement is accepted, the written scope identifies the returns, FBARs, information returns, and certification work included.
Complex Expat Returns
Some returns don't fit neatly into a standard annual-return scope.
FileAbroad accepts individually scoped returns involving additional schedules, multiple income sources, foreign assets or entities, prior-year issues, and other cross-border facts when the work falls within the practice's capabilities.
I review these engagements before quoting preparation.
ADDITIONAL TAX ISSUES
Planning within a tax engagement
Some tax questions are analyzed as part of an accepted preparation engagement rather than treated as separate filing products.
Foreign Tax Credit
Analysis and Form 1116 preparation when foreign income taxes are relevant to an accepted return, including applicable carryover considerations within the engagement scope.
FEIE vs. Foreign Tax Credit
Comparison of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit when the taxpayer's facts make both approaches relevant.
State filing questions
Review of state-residency and filing considerations when they are included in the engagement. Moving abroad does not automatically terminate every state filing obligation.
These issues are scoped as part of the underlying tax engagement rather than assumed to be included in every return.
SCOPE
What FileAbroad does not handle
FileAbroad is focused on U.S. individual tax preparation for Americans abroad.
You may still be a FileAbroad fit if you currently live in the United States. The relevant question is not only where you live today; it is whether your U.S. filing or reporting problem involves foreign accounts, assets, inheritance, gifts, property, entities, prior years abroad, or a return from living abroad. FileAbroad does not take ordinary domestic-only returns.
I do not provide legal advice or tax litigation services. Matters requiring services outside the accepted engagement may need to be handled by another professional.
If I'm not the right person for the work, I'll tell you before accepting the engagement.
NOT SURE WHAT YOU NEED?
You don't need to diagnose your own tax return before contacting me.
Tell me where you live, which years need attention, how you earn income, and what you're concerned about. I'll review the inquiry and determine whether the next step is a consultation.
Tell Me About My SituationPrefer email? info@fileabroad.com