03/26/2026
You know that foreign pension you barely remember signing up for? Or the joint account you opened just to pay rent abroad? Yeah—the IRS wants to talk about it. Officially called the Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, form 8938 is how the U.S. keeps tabs on Americans with money overseas. If you’re a U.S. […]
03/25/2026
Running a business abroad comes with its fair share of challenges—unexpected paperwork, changing compliance rules, and the occasional late-night Google search about U.S. requirements you hadn’t thought about. And one obligation that has repeatedly stumped many American entrepreneurs is the Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR). BOIR is a requirement for certain businesses to disclose information […]
03/23/2026
When retirement planning involves two passports, two careers, and possibly a few countries along the way, the details can get muddled rather quickly. One spouse may have a full U.S. Social Security record, while the other has a work history spent mostly outside the American system. Luckily, spousal Social Security benefits can be just the […]
03/18/2026
You file from abroad, report your foreign salary, maybe claim the FEIE or foreign tax credits—and then something odd happens. A credit disappears, a deduction shrinks, or your Roth IRA eligibility quietly evaporates. The culprit is often one number: your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). MAGI matters because it’s the IRS’s gatekeeper for a long […]
09/08/2026
Imagine you have $4,000 in a checking account, $3,500 in savings and $3,000 in an investment account—all held outside the United States. None contains more than $10,000. Together, however, they hold $10,500. If all three accounts are reportable, you must file an FBAR. An FBAR is simply a report of certain foreign financial accounts you […]
03/12/2026
A capital gain is the increase of the value of an asset that you realize when that asset is sold. Capital gains (and losses) are reported on Form 1040 Schedule D; however the calculations to arrive at the capital gain or loss are reported on IRS Form 8949.
03/10/2026
Living abroad comes with a lot of perks—new foods, new friends, and the chance to answer “where are you from?” in increasingly creative ways. But for U.S. citizens, green card holders, and resident aliens living in a foreign country, there’s one not-so-fun challenge that comes with the adventure: double taxation. The IRS loves to keep […]
03/08/2026
It’s not a fitness challenge. You won’t need a stopwatch, a yoga mat, or to prove how many push-ups you can do in a minute. But the physical presence test is a test—one that can save you thousands in U.S. taxes if you pass. Think of it as the IRS’s version of “Are you really […]
03/07/2026
Every investor hits a rough patch. But for U.S. expats, a dip in your portfolio isn’t just bad luck—it’s a tax opportunity in disguise. Tax loss harvesting is the strategy of turning your investment losses into real-life tax savings by offsetting capital gains and lowering your taxable income. It’s like spring cleaning for your portfolio—except […]
03/06/2026
You’d think moving abroad would simplify your tax life. File your federal return, maybe claim the Foreign Tax Credit or FEIE, and move on. But if money is still flowing to you from the U.S.—rent, investment income, business revenue—another layer of rules can quietly step in. And sometimes, those rules look a lot like a […]