06/04/2020
The IRS has announced that it will start accepting electronically filed amended tax returns this summer. Up until now, amended tax returns have had to be filed on paper by post, meaning a long processing time of 6-8 weeks under normal conditions (and probably longer in 2020, due to a reduced service during the Coronavirus […]
06/01/2020
The US – Australia tax treaty was signed in 1982, with an additional protocol added in 2001. The purpose of the treaty is to prevent double taxation for Americans living in Australia and Australians living in the US, however it doesn’t prevent US citizens living in Australia from having to file US taxes. US taxes for expats in […]
05/28/2020
The Streamlined Procedure is an IRS amnesty program that was introduced in its current form in 2014 to allow certain expats who aren’t compliant with their US tax filing to catch up without facing penalties. All American citizens and Green Card holders are required to file US taxes on their worldwide income. When they file, […]
05/26/2020
The IRS has found an innovative answer to the question of how to deliver Coronavirus Relief Stimulus Payments to Americans, including expats, who haven’t provided details of a US bank account, in the form of a prepaid debit card. The Stimulus Payments, referred to as Economic Impact Payments (or EIPs by the IRS), were made available […]
05/21/2020
Thousands of Americans work as military contractors supporting US armed forces in combat zones abroad. As American citizens, American military contractors are still required to file US taxes on their global income, wherever in the world they are working. In this article we look at US tax filing rules for American military contractors working abroad. […]
05/18/2020
Expats were included in the provision for Americans to receive Stimulus Payments in the Coronavirus relief CARES Act that became law on March 27th. The Stimulus Payments are worth a maximum of $1,200 per adult, and $500 per dependent child. Spouses and dependants need to have a US social security number to qualify for the additional […]
05/14/2020
American expats have to differentiate between US and foreign source income when they file their US taxes. All Americans, including Americans living abroad, have to file US taxes, due to the fact that the US taxes based on citizenship. American expats also have to report their foreign registered businesses, and financial (i.e. bank and investment) accounts and […]
05/12/2020
Stimulus Payments for Americans, including expats, were announced as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on March 27th. The purpose of the Stimulus Payments is to provide financial assistance to Americans impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak. As of Friday May 8th, the IRS had sent 595,548 CARES Act Stimulus Payments to […]
05/05/2020
The IRS introduced the Get My Payment tool in mid April to allow Americans to provide their US bank details and so receive a stimulus check by direct deposit rather than a mailed check. The tool is applicable for Americans who haven’t provided their US bank details in their 2018 or 2019 tax returns, and […]
05/04/2020
The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act provides a one-time Stimulus Payment to Americans, including expats, based on certain criteria. The payment is intended to help those whose incomes have been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak and the measures implemented by governments to limit its spread. In this article we look at how […]