Annual U.S. tax returns for Americans abroad
U.S. tax preparation when your life is outside the United States.
FileAbroad prepares U.S. federal individual income-tax returns for Americans living abroad.
I review your income, residence, travel, foreign taxes, accounts, and other relevant facts to determine what belongs in the return and which additional reporting may need to be considered.
You work directly with me from the initial review through preparation and filing.
Direct preparation · Written scope and price · Client review before filing
The return
What an expat return may involve
An American living abroad still files within the U.S. tax system, but the facts behind the return can look very different from those of someone living entirely in the United States.
Foreign earned income
Wages or self-employment income earned while living abroad may raise questions about foreign-earned-income rules and where services were performed.
Foreign income taxes
Income taxes paid or accrued to another country may be relevant to the U.S. return and the Foreign Tax Credit.
Residence and travel
Where you live and the days you spend inside and outside the United States can matter to provisions used on an expat return.
Foreign financial accounts and assets
Foreign accounts or assets may create reporting questions separate from the calculation of income tax.
State filing obligations
Moving abroad does not automatically resolve every state filing question. State obligations depend on the particular state and the taxpayer’s continuing facts.
Which of these issues actually belongs in your return depends on your facts.
Preparation
What the engagement includes
The exact forms and filings are confirmed before preparation begins.
Federal return preparation
Preparation of Form 1040 and the schedules and forms included in the accepted engagement.
Expat tax provisions when applicable
Preparation involving provisions such as the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Foreign Tax Credit when they apply to the accepted return.
International reporting when included
FBAR, Form 8938, or other international reporting is prepared only when it is identified and included in the engagement scope.
Review before filing
You receive the completed return for review and have an opportunity to ask questions before anything is submitted.
Filing and records
After approval, I submit the accepted electronic filings when available and provide the completed return and available filing confirmation for your records.
More complex returns
Some expat returns need additional review.
Foreign business ownership, trusts, gifts, investment funds, pensions, digital assets, prior-year filing problems, treaty positions, and other cross-border facts can create work beyond an ordinary annual return.
Start with a foreign pension consultation when plan classification, treaty, or reporting must be scoped before annual preparation.
Lifetime gifts from abroad — including cash, property, business interests, or digital assets — may trigger Form 3520 or 708 questions that need mapping before preparation. You can start a foreign gift consultation to scope those questions.
Digital-asset activity — including trading, staking, mining, lending, DeFi, and foreign platform use — may require a separate scoping review. You can start a crypto consultation to map those questions before preparation begins.
Tell me about those facts during the intake. I will determine whether the work can be accepted by FileAbroad, whether it requires a separately defined scope, or whether another professional is more appropriate.
The process
How it works
- 1
Tell me about your situation.
Start with the preliminary intake and provide the broad facts without sending sensitive tax documents.
- 2
Consultation and scope.
We review the filing issues together. If I can accept the work, I confirm the forms, years, records, scope, and price before preparation begins.
- 3
Upload the requested records securely.
I provide a document checklist based on the accepted engagement and instructions for secure upload.
- 4
I prepare the return.
I prepare the accepted work using the information and records provided and address material questions that arise during preparation.
- 5
You review before filing.
You receive the completed return, ask any remaining questions, and approve it before submission.
- 6
Filing and confirmation.
After approval, I submit the accepted electronic filings when available and provide the completed work and available filing confirmation for your records.
Before you start
Questions about annual expat tax preparation
Can you prepare my U.S. return while I live abroad?
Yes. FileAbroad is built specifically around U.S. individual tax preparation for Americans living outside the United States. Whether I can accept a particular engagement depends on the facts and the work required.
Do I automatically qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion because I live abroad?
No. Living outside the United States by itself does not establish eligibility for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. The applicable requirements need to be reviewed using your residence, tax-home, travel, and income facts.
Should I use the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Foreign Tax Credit?
There is no universal answer. The appropriate treatment depends on your income, foreign taxes, residence, and other facts. When the issue is relevant to an accepted return, I review the applicable approach before preparation is completed.
Are FBAR and Form 8938 automatically included?
No. Foreign-account and asset reporting is included only when it applies to your situation and is part of the accepted engagement scope.
What if I have not filed for several years?
Tell me during the intake. Prior-year filing problems require a separate review of the filing history and facts before the appropriate preparation path can be determined.
Can you handle a return involving a foreign business, trust, or investment fund?
Those facts require additional screening. Some engagements may be accepted with a separately defined scope, while others may require another professional. Describe the issue during the intake before sending documents.
Primary source
IRS guidance for U.S. taxpayers abroad
For current federal filing rules and agency guidance, start with the IRS information for U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad.
Start here
Tell me about your tax situation.
You don't need to know which forms or international provisions apply 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 whether FileAbroad appears to be the right next step.
Tell Me About My SituationPrefer email? info@fileabroad.com
Do not send sensitive tax documents through the public intake form or ordinary email.