U.S. TAX SERVICES FOR AMERICANS ABROAD
Your U.S. tax return travels with you.
Coordinated U.S. tax support for qualifying Americans abroad, including worldwide income, foreign tax credits, foreign earned income, FBAR, FATCA reporting, and late-filing catch-up.
Worldwide incomeQualifying U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad generally report worldwide income.
Foreign tax coordinationReview FEIE and FTC paths without double-counting the same income.
Account reportingFBAR and Form 8938 are separate, fact-specific questions.
Catch-up reviewLate filing options depend on facts and non-willfulness.
A RETURN THAT CROSSES BORDERS
Living abroad can change the questions around an otherwise familiar return
U.S. citizens and resident aliens generally remain subject to U.S. tax on worldwide income even while living abroad. Foreign wages, investments, housing, pensions, business interests, and accounts may create additional reporting and coordination questions.
We organize the filing around your residence, income, foreign taxes, accounts, prior returns, and filing status. Eligibility for any exclusion, credit, or late-filing procedure requires a fact-specific review.
FILING SITUATIONS
Start with the situation closest to yours
Employee abroad
Foreign wages, employer benefits, housing, and tax paid or withheld overseas.
Review my income →Self-employed abroad
Business income, expenses, estimated tax, and self-employment-tax questions.
Review my business →Newly overseas
First-year residence, move dates, departure records, and a new foreign tax home.
Plan my first filing →Foreign accounts
Bank, brokerage, pension, or other financial accounts that may require reporting.
Check my accounts →Late or missing returns
Prior-year returns, notices, penalties, and possible catch-up procedures.
Review my late filing →Returning to the U.S.
Transition-year income, residence changes, and records for the move home.
Plan my transition →WORLDWIDE TAX FOOTPRINT
Build the map before choosing the filing path
Residence, work location, citizenship, income source, foreign tax, account balances, and prior filing history all matter.
COMMON FOREIGN-TAX METHODS
FEIE and FTC are different tools
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
May exclude qualifying foreign earned income when foreign tax home and bona fide residence or physical-presence requirements are met. The amount changes by year, and FEIE does not reduce self-employment tax.
IRS FEIE guidance ↗Foreign Tax Credit
May provide a credit for qualifying foreign income taxes, subject to applicable limitations and sourcing rules. FEIE and FTC cannot both offset the same excluded income.
IRS FTC guidance ↗Important: The better path depends on the income, foreign tax, residence, filing year, and other facts. Do not select a method from a headline alone.
FOREIGN ACCOUNT REPORTING
FBAR and Form 8938 answer different questions
| Question | FBAR | Form 8938 |
|---|---|---|
| Administered by | FinCEN | IRS |
| What it covers | Specified foreign financial accounts | Specified foreign financial assets and interests |
| Threshold | Aggregate account value over $10,000 at any point in the calendar year | Fact-specific; filing status and residence conditions matter |
| Separate from tax return? | Generally filed electronically through FinCEN | Attached to the federal income-tax return when required |
DEADLINES AND MILESTONES
Map the year before the deadline arrives
- 01
Collect the year
Income, foreign tax, residence dates, account statements, and prior returns.
- 02
Identify reports
Determine whether FBAR, FATCA, foreign pension, business, or other reports may apply.
- 03
Review extensions
Apply the correct deadline and extension rules to the filing year and situation.
- 04
File and retain
Approve the return, submit required reports, and keep supporting records.
WHAT WE CAN ORGANIZE
Engagement deliverables depend on your filing path
Federal return
U.S. individual return preparation and review.
Foreign income
Wages, business, investments, pensions, and other sources.
FEIE or FTC review
Fact-specific coordination of foreign-tax treatment.
FBAR support
Account inventory and reporting information when required.
FATCA review
Form 8938 questions based on assets and thresholds.
Late-file catch-up
Prior returns, notices, and possible procedure review.
LATE-FILING CATCH-UP
Start with the missing years and the facts behind them
Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are not automatic. Eligibility, non-willfulness, filing history, tax, and account reporting require review.
- 01Find missing returns and reports
- 02Reconstruct income, taxes, and accounts
- 03Select the appropriate filing path
DOCUMENT CHECKLIST
What you may need to send
Not every item applies to every taxpayer. Use the approved secure intake route for sensitive records.
- Prior U.S. tax returns and IRS notices
- Foreign wage, pension, investment, and business records
- Foreign tax statements and proof of tax paid
- Foreign account statements and highest balances
- Residence, travel, and work-location dates
- Spouse, dependent, citizenship, and filing-status details
COMMON FILING RISKS
Small assumptions can create large reporting gaps
- Assuming living abroad ends U.S. filing obligations
- Treating FBAR and Form 8938 as the same report
- Using FEIE and FTC against the same excluded income
- Ignoring self-employment-tax effects of FEIE
- Counting the FBAR threshold per account instead of in aggregate
- Assuming streamlined procedures guarantee eligibility
SCOPE AND PRICING
No universal expat-tax price fits every return
Scope depends on filing status, countries, income sources, foreign tax, accounts, business activity, missing years, forms, and deadlines. We review the facts before defining the engagement.
EXPAT TAX QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Do Americans living abroad still file U.S. taxes?
U.S. citizens and resident aliens generally remain subject to U.S. tax on worldwide income. Filing and reporting requirements depend on the facts and tax year.
What is the foreign earned income exclusion?
FEIE may exclude qualifying foreign earned income when foreign tax home and bona fide residence or physical-presence requirements are met. The amount changes annually.
Does FEIE reduce self-employment tax?
No. FEIE does not reduce self-employment tax. Self-employed taxpayers need a separate review of the applicable rules.
What is the foreign tax credit?
FTC may provide a credit for qualifying foreign income taxes, subject to limitations and sourcing rules.
Can FEIE and FTC both be used?
They may apply to different income, but FEIE and FTC cannot both offset the same excluded income.
When is FBAR required?
FBAR generally applies when the aggregate value of specified foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any point during the calendar year.
Is Form 8938 the same as FBAR?
No. They are separate reports with different assets, thresholds, filing locations, and rules.
What if my returns are late?
We can review missing years, notices, tax, account reporting, and possible catch-up paths. No procedure is automatic.
What are the streamlined procedures?
They are IRS filing-compliance procedures with eligibility conditions, including non-willfulness and other requirements that must be reviewed.
Do I need to report a foreign pension?
Possibly. The answer depends on the pension, account structure, tax treatment, country, and filing year.
Can you help self-employed expats?
Yes. We can review business income, expenses, foreign tax, self-employment tax, and related reporting needs.
How do I get started?
Share your residence, filing years, income sources, foreign taxes, accounts, and deadlines through the approved secure intake process.
REVIEWED TAX INFORMATION
Use current official guidance for the filing year
Educational information only; not legal or tax advice. Reviewed August 2026. Rules and thresholds can change.
RELATED SERVICES
Continue with the service that fits your situation
READY TO FIND YOUR PATH?
Start with your residence, income, accounts, and filing years
Tell us what changed, where you live, and which deadline or report is creating the question.