Bright!Tax US Expat Tax Blog

Reporting Foreign Rental Income on Property Abroad

Reporting Foreign Rental Income

US expats who live abroad make money in many different ways. Your employer in the US might offer you a position in another country or you may decide to travel and start your own business. Whether you’re freelancing or working for a traditional employer, you might also consider investing in property abroad. This could help […]

Filing State Taxes as a US Expat: What You Need to Know

Filing state taxes expat

According to estimates from the US Department of State, over nine million Americans live abroad. And now that they left the US behind, it also makes sense to leave their state tax obligations behind, right?  Surprise, surprise, that’s not always the case. Sometimes even thousands of miles away from the US, American expats may still […]

Tax Form 8858 and Foreign Disregarded Entities for US Expats

Tax Form 8858 and Foreign Disregarded Entities for Expats

Filing your US taxes as an expat can get complicated – even more so if you start a business while you’re abroad. As a US citizen who owns a foreign business, you have additional tax reporting requirements. US taxes are based on citizenship status, not residency. Therefore, Americans living abroad who own businesses (even sole […]

US Expat Tax Guide for Americans Working in Japan

tax guide Americans Japan

Japan. The land of sushi, Pokémon, incredibly fast bullet trains, and high-tech toilets that can even play music during your bathroom sessions. While the year is 2022, it feels like the Japanese are living in 3022.  Japan is also the country that tens of thousands of American expats call home. According to recent data, currently, […]

Can US Expats Collect Social Security Benefits? 

US expat social security

When it comes to US expat taxes, there’s a lot to handle. Expats must file various forms depending on their situation (such as the FBAR or Foreign Tax Credit) and comply with strict IRS deadlines.  Something that may go over the heads of US expats as they file their tax returns, however, is Social Security. […]

What is GILTI? What Expats Need to Know About IRS Form 8992

US expat researches, "What is GILTI" on his computer.

Living abroad as a US expat can open you up to new opportunities – particularly when it comes to your career. Depending on your future goals, you may even decide to go into business for yourself. If you do, it’s important to understand how forming your own foreign corporation can impact your taxes, particularly with […]

Filing Form 2555: A Guide for US Expats

Form 2555

Uncle Sam and American expats aren’t exactly the best of friends. Regardless of where they live, American citizens have to declare their worldwide income to the IRS, and many aren’t even aware of this.   Yep, you heard that right. That’s because the United States is one of only two countries that applies citizenship-based taxation.  And […]

FBAR Deadline 2025 – Filing Requirements for US Expats

Tax filing online

Just like taxpayers on US soil, Americans abroad typically have one or more bank accounts to receive their income and facilitate payment of living expenses. For expats, the fact that these accounts for everyday financial management are foreign creates an additional U.S. Treasury reporting requirement called the FBAR, or the Foreign Bank Account Report. For […]