Bright!Tax US Expat Tax Blog

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 […]

Most expats learn about the Foreign Tax Credit the way you learn about fire alarms: startled and slightly annoyed. The promise sounds comforting: if you paid income tax to another country, you may be able to claim a credit so you’re not taxed twice on the same foreign-source income. And that’s often true—until you hit […]