Tax Rules and Compliance

Living abroad may change your view, your routine, and your favorite snacks—but not your tax obligations. As long as you’re a U.S. citizen or green card holder, the IRS still expects you to file—no matter where in the world you live or work. That includes digital nomads, retirees, self-employed entrepreneurs, and remote employees. The problem? […]

Living abroad comes with plenty of perks: better weather, stronger coffee, and the chance to reinvent yourself at least once a year. But even if you’ve traded New York for Hong Kong or settled into a cozy village in the United Kingdom, one thing still follows you: U.S. taxes. That’s why the right expat tax […]

You can leave the country—but you can’t leave the IRS. Unlike most countries, U.S. taxes are based on citizenship, not residency. That means if you’re a U.S. citizen or green card holder, you’re required to file a federal income tax return every year—even if you’ve spent the entire tax year sipping espresso in Rome or […]

So, you’ve just discovered you were supposed to file a Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR), maybe a Form 8938, and include that income from your old investment in the Cayman Islands. Whoops. Deep breaths—you’re not the first (and definitely not the last) U.S. taxpayer to miss the fine print on international tax reporting. That’s where […]

If you’re a U.S. taxpayer living stateside with unreported foreign accounts or income, the words “offshore compliance” probably don’t inspire joy. But here’s the good news: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) knows mistakes happen—and they’ve created a pathway to help you fix them (before things get expensive). It’s called the Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures (SDOP), […]

Living in Canada as a U.S. expat brings exciting opportunities—but it can also create tax headaches, especially when it comes to double taxation. If you’re earning income in Canada, you might worry about being taxed twice: once by the Canadian government and again by the IRS. The good news? With the right knowledge and strategies, […]

The US has tax treaties with dozens of different countries. If you live in one of those countries, it may be worth claiming the tax treaty’s benefits. Keep in mind, though, that each tax treaty is slightly different. As you can imagine, some US tax treaties are more advantageous than others. Below, we’ll give a […]

Did you know you and your dependents can expand your knowledge and gain job skills while reducing your tax bill? The IRS offers a couple of different continuing education tax benefits, which can help offset higher education expenses by decreasing your tax burden. In many cases, even Americans attending an educational institution abroad are eligible […]

Many expats assume moving abroad means they don’t have to file state taxes. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. New York is one of several states that make it difficult for former residents to sever tax obligations. If you lived in New York before moving overseas — or you maintain certain ties there — you […]

These 11 strategies can help you legally minimize your US tax liability, take advantage of foreign tax credits, and make the most of available deductions and exclusions.