05/29/2026
David Miller is the first recipient of the Bright!Tax Global Scholar Award in 2020. Bright!Tax is the leading provider of US tax services for Americans living abroad. With expat clients in over 190 countries, Bright!Tax is keenly aware of the benefits of living abroad, and how the over 9 million US expats are both the new American […]
10/06/2025
Nine million Americans live abroad, and expats employed by foreign firms in particular, often have foreign retirement accounts. Because the US tax system is based on citizenship, all US citizens, including expats, have to file a tax return to the IRS every year, reporting their worldwide income and assets. Foreign retirement plans often have tax benefits […]
10/06/2025
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, […]
10/06/2025
Serving your country overseas comes with its share of challenges, but one you might not expect is navigating the complex world of US taxes. As a member of the US military deployed abroad — one of thousands of Americans working as military personnel supporting US armed forces in combat zones abroad — you’re still required […]
10/06/2025
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 […]
10/06/2025
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 […]
11/17/2025
Many Americans living abroad get the opportunity to acquire foreign investments at some point in their fiscal journey. While investing in financial vehicles outside of the US can play an important role in diversifying your portfolio and aligning your investment strategy to the economy of your host country, it’s important to understand how foreign holdings […]
10/06/2025
The majority of Americans use tax software to file their US taxes. In the light of this, it’s strange that the IRS has been changing Form 1040 over the last couple of years, as very few people use it. Instead, the majority either employ a tax preparer, who uses software, or input their information into […]
11/17/2025
If you’re a self-employed US expat, understanding your tax obligations is essential. Self-employed US expats are not only subject to income taxes but also Social Security taxes. Unlike working for an American employer (or some foreign employers1), you are responsible for keeping track of Social Security taxes when you’re self-employed. This is best done proactively […]
10/06/2025
Two years after Donald Trump signed into law his Tax Reform, in the last few days of December 2019 he signed another law called the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act. The law comes into immediate effect in 2020. It is designed to allow American taxpayers, including expats, to better plan and […]