Expat Tax Forms

A capital gain is the increase of the value of an asset that you realize when that asset is sold. Capital gains (and losses) are reported on Form 1040 Schedule D; however the calculations to arrive at the capital gain or loss are reported on IRS Form 8949.

If your U.S. business has foreign ownership, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) isn’t just curious—it requires you to spill the details on Form 5472. Think of it as the agency’s way of making sure international businesses aren’t skirting U.S. tax laws. This form is mandatory for foreign-owned U.S. corporations and disregarded entities that engage in reportable transactions with a foreign related party—a broad category that includes everything […]

If you have a stake in a foreign partnership, you might have a new tax form on your hands: Form 8865. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires certain U.S. citizens with foreign partnership interests to report their share of income, losses, and transactions. While it might not be the most exciting part of managing a business abroad, filing correctly is essential—missing it can […]

In the world of IRS paperwork, Form 8832 is small but mighty. It’s just two pages long, yet it decides how your business will be taxed—and that choice can make a serious difference to your tax return, your tax rates, and your bottom line. You might file it when launching a new business, reshaping your […]

If you’re a U.S. citizen living abroad and investing locally, there’s a decent chance the IRS has its eye on your portfolio—even if you’ve never heard of a PFIC. PFICs, or Passive Foreign Investment Companies, sound like something you’d only encounter in a finance textbook. In reality, they include many common investment vehicles like non-U.S. […]

Got a stake in a company outside the U.S.? Then Form 8992 is about to become your new paperwork frenemy. This IRS form is what U.S. shareholders use to report certain types of foreign business income—especially if you own part of a Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC). I f you’re a business owner, part of a […]

Form 5471, which the IRS calls “Information Return of US Persons With Respect To Certain Foreign Corporations”, is an informational return that US taxpayers with shares in a foreign corporation must file. Whether you need to file Form 5471 depends on the percentage of stock you own in a foreign corporation. 

Big gifts come with a little fine print. If you give more than the annual exclusion to any one person in a year (or make another reportable transfer), Form 709 is the paperwork that keeps score. Here’s the surprise: filing the form doesn’t usually mean paying the federal gift tax. Instead, it’s more like keeping […]

You took the leap, set up a business abroad, and now you’re living the dream—until tax season rolls around and you hear about Form 5471. Suddenly, the IRS wants details about your foreign corporation, and missing this form could mean steep penalties. If you’re a U.S. shareholder in a foreign business, there’s a good chance you need to file. […]