08/29/2019
Millions of Americans living abroad aren’t aware that all American citizens are required to file US taxes, reporting their global income, wherever in the world they live. The requirement for Americans living abroad to file is an anomaly that dates back to the Civil War, when the federal government was desperate for revenue at a […]
08/19/2019
Every year, global bank HSBC carries out the world’s largest and most influential survey of expats to find out what issues they face and more importantly, which are the best countries to live in. While for the last four years the results have been fairly similar, this year’s survey of over 18,000 expats in 33 […]
08/15/2019
Japan has long been hailed as a great vacation destination due to its natural beauty, rich culture, and delicious cuisine — but it’s also surprisingly common for Americans to retire in Japan. And with Japan’s great healthcare system, low crime rates, and lower cost of living, it’s not hard to see why. Below, we’ll delve into […]
08/12/2019
In August 2019 the IRS is writing to 10,000 Americans, including expats, who have held or sold Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency holdings over the last few years, informing them that they may owe tax on their holdings. All Americans are required to file a US tax return, including Americans living abroad, reporting their worldwide income. […]
08/08/2019
The IRS has released a new draft Form 1040 for 2019 tax year (filing in 2020). While the new form is still in a public consultation phase, it’s notably different from the current Form 1040, which itself was only introduced just in time for the 2018 tax year and was a big departure from the […]
08/05/2019
American expats living in France, like all Americans around the world, are required to file US taxes, reporting their global income. When they file they can claim one or more IRS measures such as the Foreign Tax Credit and the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion that allow them to avoid double taxation. Expats are also required […]
08/01/2019
Last week the UK announced former mayor of London Boris Johnson as the country’s new Prime Minister. Few people know though that new UKPM Mr Johnson was until 2016 an American citizen, and that he renounced his US citizenship to avoid having to file US taxes. Mr Johnson was a US citizen by virtue of having […]
07/29/2019
On July 16th and 17th, the Senate approved updates to the International Tax Treaties the US has with Spain, Japan, Switzerland and Luxembourg. These updates, or protocols, were agreed with the respective countries nearly a decade ago, with the delay in their ratification largely due to the efforts of a single senator, Paul Rand, who has […]
07/15/2019
Most US expats are familiar with ordinary income taxes, which range from 10% to 37% depending on overall taxable income. Through expat-specific tax breaks, Americans abroad can often greatly reduce or eliminate their US tax liability. While this is generally a good thing, it can make high-income expats more susceptible to the Alternative Minimum Tax […]
07/11/2019
The underlying principle of the US tax system is that US citizens and Green Card holders are required to file and report their total worldwide income, whether they live in the US or abroad, and wherever in the world their income is earned or sourced. This means that many expats have to file two tax […]