Tax Planning & Advice

Living abroad is an adventure and a privilege. At Bright!Tax, we are expats too – our team members are based in over 30 countries! This gives us a unique insight into the experience and challenges of living overseas that lets us better serve our American expat clients. Lots is happening here at Bright!Tax. Our team […]

2021 has flown by, and the holidays are approaching once again. As the October extended tax filing deadline recedes in the memory, it’s a great time to do a little year-end planning to ensure that filing in 2022 is smooth and easy in order to minimize your tax bill. 1 – Ensure you’re up to date […]

In this article we look at what Americans living abroad need to know about the upcoming October 15 2021 IRS tax filing deadline. Do Americans living abroad have to file? All Americans have to file US taxes every year if their income exceeds IRS minimum thresholds. The thresholds are either the Standard Deduction amount, which […]

Many Americans living abroad have heard of an IRS tax exemption for overseas income, so they assume that don’t have to file a US tax return from abroad if their income is sourced overseas. The truth, however, isn’t as straightforward. While it’s true that there’s an IRS exemption available for overseas income, it has certain […]

With the June 15 expat tax filing deadline just a week away now, what do Americans living abroad need to know – and do? US tax filing requirements for Americans living abroad Unlike most other countries, the US runs a citizenship based taxation system, which means that it requires all US citizens (and Green Card […]

US mutual funds are a popular investment vehicle stateside and are frequently recommended as an affordable and convenient way to diversify investment portfolios. With that commonplace advice in mind, many expats consider investing in mutual funds based outside the US. Investing in foreign mutual funds, however, isn’t quite as straightforward as investing in a US-based […]

Tax Day was moved this year for all Americans, due to the impact the pandemic has had on both the IRS and taxpayers. The IRS in particular has been unusually overwhelmed this year, due to distributing stimulus checks, the fact that many IRS staff are still working remotely, and due to having to enact changes created […]

Over nine million US citizens are living abroad, including US military and diplomatic staff. According to US law, all of them who meet minimum IRS income requirements have to file a US tax return every year, reporting their worldwide income. Neither international tax treaties, nor where their income is sourced, nor whether US citizens living […]

All American citizens, including those living abroad, are required to file a US federal tax return every year reporting their worldwide income. Neither international tax treaties, nor any foreign tax filing requirement, mitigate the requirement for American expats to file a US federal tax return. To avoid double taxation, expats can claim provisions such as […]