11/25/2019
The Bright!Tax team wishes all US expats around the world a very Happy 2019 Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving abroad as an expat can be an unusual experience, celebrating in a place where few other people celebrate and often without access to the traditional ingredients. As expats though, we have a lot to be thankful for. Being an […]
11/21/2019
The IRS Streamlined Procedure is an IRS amnesty program that lets US expats who haven’t been filing a US tax return from abroad, because they weren’t aware that they have to, to catch up without facing any penalties. Because the US taxes based on citizenship, all Americans are required to file US taxes, reporting their […]
11/18/2019
As we approach the end of year holidays, it’s a good time for expats to take stock and do some year-end tax planning. Year-end tax planning for expats falls into two broad categories: minimizing year 2019 taxes, and planning ahead for 2020. Minimizing year 2019 taxes Ensure that you qualify for the Foreign Earned Income […]
11/14/2019
Each year the IRS adjusts tax brackets, the Standard Deduction, and exclusion thresholds for inflation. Last week the IRS announced the new figures for 2020. These will be applied to the year from January 1st to December 31st 2020, the 2020 tax year, for which expats (along with Americans living stateside) will file in 2021. […]
11/11/2019
Charles Schwab, the US brokerage firm, has written to its European based clients, including many US expats, to tell them that it’s shutting down its UK operations. According to American Expat Finance, Charles Schwab clients in the UK and the rest of Europe are being informed that they have until the end of the year […]
11/04/2019
This article was originally published by Albaron Ventures. As Bitcoin and other digital assets continue to grow in adoption and popularity, a common topic for discussion is whether the U.S. government, or any government for that matter, can exert control of its use. There are two core issues that lay the foundation of the Bitcoin […]
10/31/2019
While Americans living abroad have been required to file US taxes reporting their global income, since the Civil War, it is only the last few years that the US government has been able to enforce the requirement. Americans with foreign registered financial (i.e. bank or investment) accounts are also required to report them annually by […]
10/24/2019
With the final October 15th US tax filing deadline now having passed, most US expats have already filed this year. For those who still haven’t though, in this article we take a look at the consequences of their not having filed, as well as the options they now have. Summary of rules and deadlines US […]
10/21/2019
All Americans, including expats, are required to file US taxes every year, reporting their global income. Tax Treaties don’t inherently prevent expats from having to file or pay US taxes. Instead, expats can claim IRS provisions to achieve this by filing additional forms when they file their federal return. These provisions include the Foreign Tax […]
10/17/2019
Following recent news that the IRS wrote to over 10,000 Americans (including expats) whom they believe hold Bitcoin or other virtual or cryptocurrency accounts informing them that they may owe tax, the IRS provided new guidance last week on how to report cryptocurrencies and in what circumstances they may be liable to taxation. Furthermore, the IRS […]