Tax Rules and Compliance

When it comes to IRS penalties, the FBAR has a reputation for being one of the harshest. Miss it, and suddenly that “forgotten form” feels less like a slip-up and more like a five-figure headache. Here’s the deal: U.S. citizens, green card holders, and certain residents have to report foreign bank and financial accounts over […]

Getting scammed is one of those experiences you hope will never happen—and yet, it happens to millions of Americans every year. Maybe it’s a too-good-to-be-true investment, a phone call pretending to be the IRS, or an online “friend” who wasn’t who they said they were. However it unfolds, the result is the same: money gone […]

The IRS has a very inclusive definition of a “U.S. person”—and it’s not just about citizenship. If you hold a green card, live abroad, have American parents, or even spend a certain number of days in the States, congratulations: you may be a U.S. person for tax purposes. That matters because U.S. persons are required […]

It’s the world’s most surprising membership: “accidental Americans.” These are people who hold U.S. citizenship—sometimes without even realizing it—and suddenly find themselves caught up in a global game of tax tag. Maybe you were born during a family layover in New York, or you inherited American citizenship from a parent, even though you’ve spent your […]

Living abroad is great until rent, utilities, and “mystery building fees” start gnawing at your budget. The IRS does throw you a bone: if you live overseas long enough to qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, you may also get a break on housing—employees can exclude eligible costs, self-employed folks can deduct them. Think […]

If you’re an American living abroad, “double taxation” probably ranks right up there with lost luggage and surprise Zoom calls in the middle of the night. Double taxation is when you end up paying taxes on the same income—first to the country where you earn it, and then again to the U.S., just for being […]

Landing a job at the United Nations might sound like a diplomatic dream—global mission, international colleagues, and not a cubicle in sight. But for U.S. citizens and resident aliens working at the UN, there’s one very terrestrial reality that refuses to go away: your tax obligations back home. Unlike most jobs, working for the UN […]

Once upon a time, moving your money overseas meant it could quietly stay overseas. In 2026? Your bank is practically CC’ing the IRS—and its international cousins—before you’ve even filed your own taxes. Thanks to FATCA (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), global banking transparency isn’t optional anymore. Banks, investment […]

The term “California exit tax” gets thrown around like it’s a cover charge to cross the Nevada line. It isn’t. What people are mixing up: (1) a rumor about paying just to leave, (2) splashy wealth-tax proposals that grabbed headlines but didn’t become law, and (3) the perfectly normal rule that California still taxes California-source […]

You didn’t skip filing your FBAR on purpose. You just didn’t know you had to. Welcome to the club. The FBAR (that’s the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) is one of the most commonly missed filings among U.S. expats. It’s not part of your tax return. It’s not about owing more money. But […]