Get to know the authorThe US tax system is different compared to other countries, as it requires expats to file US taxes from abroad, reporting their worldwide income, even if they file foreign taxes too.
Expats often also have additional reporting requirements that Americans living in the states don’t, such as the requirement to report their foreign bank and investment accounts by filing a Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) .
To reduce or eliminate their US tax bill, most expats have to file even more forms to claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or the Foreign Tax Credit.
Due to the additional forms and complexity of filing US taxes from abroad, most expats seek assistance from an expat tax specialist.
Here are the top 10 reasons why expats choose Bright!Tax for their US tax preparation.
1 – World class US expat expert CPAs
Bright!Tax only employs the most qualified and personable, expat-expert American CPAs. Most Bright!Tax professionals also have MAs or MBAs as well as their CPA qualification, giving our clients extra confidence in their abilities.
2 – Realize your most tax-efficient outcome.
Lower priced firms typically use less experienced tax preparers, who are not as knowledgeable and so are not able to help you to realize your greatest savings. The money ‘saved’ quite often exceeds your total Bright!Tax tax preparation fee. This is because our CPAs are experts at creating individual strategies for every client, rather than thinking ‘one size fits all’.
3 – B!T is more responsive to your needs
Our stated goal is for B!T clients to have a ‘perfect experience’, from your first overture to us all the
way through to the successful completion of a project on your behalf
At Bright!Tax, we realize that alongside expertize the second most important factor leading to client satisfaction is for your CPA to be available and responsive at all times. At any time you may have a call with your Bright!Tax CPA, inclusive in your tax prep fee. Also, all email communication is responded to within hours (and not days or even longer like at many other firms). Most other firms will not communicate with you by phone at all after an initial consultation, insisting on using email only.
4 – Every B!T project is reviewed by 2 CPAs
To ensure that our returns are 100% accurate, every tax return we prepare is checked by two CPAs. Most other firms use a single, solo tax preparer (who may or may not be a CPA). This is problematic in that in busy times individual tax preparers may become overworked and overwhelmed, which can lead to mistakes on your return and poor communication and responsiveness.
5 – We’re better because we care
B!T has engaged countless new clients who have tried other firms (including the ‘Big 4’ accounting firms) and who have declared that working with Bright!Tax is preferable thanks to our dedication and attentiveness to every clients’ needs.
6 – US expat tax is all we do and we are very good at it
Our stated goal is for B!T clients to have a ‘perfect experience’, from your first overture to us all the way through to the successful completion of a project on your behalf. According to client feedback, in the vast majority of cases we achieve this.
7 – Perfected workflow
As part of working to perfect our clients’ experience when filing US taxes from abroad, we believe that we have perfected our workflow, from the time you engage us, until your return is safely filed with the IRS – and beyond: should you have any questions during the rest of the year, we’re always available.
8 – Better, bespoke online interfaces
An important tool that allows us to make the US tax filing process easy for our clients is our online Client Organizer, which was designed and built from the ground up by Silicon Valley experts to provide a simple, intuitive and secure way for our clients to provide us with their financial information.
9 – Consistent excellence for years to come
Unlike many other firms, at Bright!Tax, we don’t focus on our new clients at the expense of our thousands of loyal clients who return to us year after year. Bright!Tax clients can expect the same faultless service as well as a continuing working relationship with the same CPA, year over year.
10 – Five-time Award Winners
Don’t just take our work for it though: Bright!Tax is the only US expat tax firm to have won five FEM EMMA awards for both innovation in financial services and overall excellence in accounting services.
If you have any queries about your situation or our world-class expat tax preparation service, we’re ready and enthusiastic to address them! Contact us here, or register now if you’re ready to file your US tax return.
