06/24/2019
All Americans are required to file a US tax return if they earn over $12,000 (in 2018), or just $400 of self-employment income, worldwide, even if they live abroad. This is because the US taxes based on citizenship rather than based on residence. Many expats are also required to report their foreign bank accounts, investments, and […]
04/17/2019
The United States has an unusual tax system compared to most other countries, in that it taxes all US citizens on their worldwide income, regardless of where in the world they live. Most other countries either tax just residents, or only folks with income sourced in the country. The US tax system though requires all […]
03/18/2019
All Americans (including green card holders) are required to file US taxes, reporting their worldwide income, including expats. Many expats mistakenly assume that they don’t have to file US taxes if they don’t have US sourced income, or due to a tax treaty, however all Americans who earn over $12,000 or just $400 of self-employment […]
02/07/2019
Many Americans living abroad have heard that their income up to a certain threshold is exempt from US taxation. The truth is a little more complicated however. Due to America having a citizenship based taxation system, all Americans, including expats, are required to file a federal tax return each year, reporting their worldwide income. When […]
01/10/2019
Living abroad is an incredible experience, so it’s easy to understand why over nine million Americans have made the move overseas. The American tax system is unusual though, in that expats are still required to file a US federal tax return, reporting their worldwide income, regardless of whether they are also filing foreign taxes or […]
12/10/2018
Because all American citizens and green card holders are required to file a US tax return, reporting their worldwide income, the IRS provides a number of exemptions that can be claimed that help expats minimize (and most often eliminate entirely) their US tax liability. These exemptions must be claimed when expats file their federal […]
09/17/2018
Because the US taxes based on citizenship rather than on residence, all American citizens and green card holders, including expats, have to file US taxes, wherever in the world they live. To mitigate the risk of double taxation (expats having to pay taxes abroad as well as to the US) that the requirement raises, […]
09/11/2018
When Americans move abroad, they are usually more focused on the adventure ahead than on getting to grips with US tax rules for expats. In fact, many assume that their foreign income is tax exempt. It’s counter-intuitive, in a way, that US expats are required to file US taxes from abroad, declaring their worldwide income. […]
08/13/2018
Many expats are surprised or even shocked when they discover that they have to file US taxes from abroad. They may be paying foreign taxes where they live already, and anyway no other country (except Eritrea) requires expats to continue filing if they move abroad. While the US has tax treaties with over 100 other […]
05/10/2018
Americans living abroad are required to continue filing US taxes just as if they were still living in the States, reporting their worldwide income. In fact, filing US taxes is often more complex for American expats than for Americans living in the States, as they often have extra reporting requirements under FATCA or FBAR, while […]