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Expatriate Tax Returns

Expat Tax Audit

Why Expatriate Tax Returns Exists

 

Watch just one episode of Shark Tank, featuring entrepreneur Sharks like Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, and Kevin O’Leary, and you’ll immediately understand that every company has a reason for existing. In fact, one of the first questions the Sharks ask contestants on the hit reality TV show is for them to ask their mission and vision. This is a question that our company, Expatriate Tax Returns, takes very seriously.

We are a purpose-driven company. That means that our reason for existing is based on what we see as our purpose. Our mission as an online tax consultancy is to specifically assist the segment of the population known as American expatriates. We do this by preparing the U.S. tax returns of expats in a highly skilled and professional way. At Expatriate Tax Returns, we believe that the specific tax returns that American expats have to prepare are very challenging and time-consuming. Our goal is to alleviate the stress that often comes with expat tax preparation.

 

Diane Siriani, Founder of Expatriate Tax Returns
Diane Siriani, Founder of Expatriate Tax Returns

 

How did we come to understand our mission? We believe that there was a missing piece in tax prep in our country. Private CPA firms and large accounting companies were not focusing any attention on the expat population. We saw that missing piece as an opportunity. We believe we’re solving a problem and, in doing so, we found our niche. Expatriate Tax Returns has created a solution to the problem of challenging expatriate taxes.

Our mission is the reason we exist. We are here to help you — American expats who live and work abroad but are still responsible to pay U.S. taxes. We are dedicated to this mission and we love what we do. Call us today at 877-382-9123. We want to serve you.

 

How the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Will Affect American Expats

Just before Christmas, President Donald Trump signed the 1,100-page Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, into law. This reform of the tax code won’t affect your 2017 expatriate filings, but it will have an effect on your 2018 tax returns. This is meant as a general guide; you should always consult with a professional at Expatriate Tax Returns before filing.

Expatriate Tax Returns

Let’s start with some acronyms:

CBT – Citizenship-Based Taxation – a country, like the United States, taxes you based on the citizenship you hold.

RBT – Residence-Based Taxation – a practice employed by many other countries, taxing you based on where you live.

FEIE – Foreign Earned Income Exclusion – This is a dollar for dollar deduction on foreign-earned money that you’ve already paid foreign taxes on, currently limited at $104,100 annually. This is calculated every year but will no longer increase as quickly. Going forward, it will no longer be calculated on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), but rather on the slower moving Chained Consumer Price Index.

FATCA – Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act – This law was enacted in 2010 and increased the US government’s authority to come after expatriate taxes.

NIIT – Net Investment Income Tax – This is a 3.8% tax that is exempt from the FEIE and often results in double taxation.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act won’t necessarily have a large impact on American expatriates, but you can always contact us at Expatriate Tax Returns for detailed information and consultation. In conclusion, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act won’t have significant impacts on American expats working overseas, but expatriate owners of small businesses will definitely feel the pinch.

Tax returns are always a complicated endeavor for expats, and that will be true for this year’s returns, next year’s and beyond. Every individual situation is different, and our certified expatriate tax consultants are here for you. The 2017 tax filing deadline is June 15th – let us help you get started today!

Meghan Markle, World-Famous American Expatriate Now

The month of December brings with it reflections on the past year and thoughts about the year to come. This is certainly true for actress Meghan Markle, known for her role as Rachel Zane on the TV series “Suits.” Markle recently announced her engagement to Prince Harry and the news broke the Internet. The couple will be married next spring in London in front of Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles and the whole world.

meghan-markle

The Los Angeles-born Meghan Markle has spent time living in Toronto while filming her television show “Suits.” This means that she already has some experience as an American expat, but her move to London and into the British Royal Family will certainly be a much larger change. As the actress Markle has announced she’ll maintain dual citizenship, she must continue to pay expatriate taxes. This soon-to-be British Royal is facing many of the same questions you will as an American expatriate.

There are many factors to consider when moving to another country outside of the U.S. There are different cultural norms, different financial statutes and often a language barrier. You must also remain responsible for any U.S. taxes owed. Expatriate tax returns are a complicated, specialized field of tax preparation.

All aspects of our tax system are currently being debated by Congress in Washington and there are no guarantees what your tax forms will look like in 2018 and beyond. For this reason, our online company, Expatriate Tax Returns, exists. You may not be a future princess of the British Royal Family, but our team of dedicated and talented CPAs will treat you like you are royalty.

Our Company’s Reputation is Everything

Reputation is everything and at ExpatriateTaxReturns.com, we value our strong reputation as the #1 trusted expatriate tax prep firm in the world. We are well aware that we are in the business of helping Americans around the globe do something that would rather not be bothered with. Expat taxes are tricky, cumbersome and a hassle. We feel privileged to take care of expatriate tax returns because it gives our clients piece of mind and also frees them up to do other things — whether that is dedicating more time to their professional pursuits, spending time with family, or enjoying everything their country has to offer.

 

Expat Tax Returns Company With Best Reputation

 

Whether you’re an American expatriate in Singapore, Sydney, Dubai or London, there are so many exciting cultural opportunities to explore. Our team at Expatriate Tax Returns doesn’t want you to miss any opportunities because you’re bogged down trying to get your financial affairs in order to prepare your complicated expat tax returns. We want to remove that inconvenience from your life. Our top-to-bottom tax preparation for expatriates means you can enjoy doing the things you love while our dedicated tax professionals prepare your expat tax returns for you. It’s a small price to pay for being able to get the most out of your stay in an interesting country away from home.

 

Call us today toll free at 877-382-9123 to talk to one of our talented tax pros and begin freeing up your time while we prepare your expatriate tax returns.

The Big Move Means Big Decisions for New Expats

Now is the time of year that many big corporations are discussing HR changes for the fall. If you’re involved in these discussions, you could soon be contemplating a big move overseas.

If you plan to move abroad this year, it will be an exciting and challenging time. There are many factors to consider like what your spouse will do overseas and where your kids will go to school. There are also a plethora of opportunities and experiences to look forward to as an American expatriate. After accepting a new job overseas or a job transfer to a country outside the United States, it’s important to create a long “To Do List” with critical items like finding a place to live, forwarding mail, and finding a physician in your new country. Selecting a trustworthy and dependable CPA firm with experience working with expats is also essential.

Expatriate Tax Returns has many years of tax planning and preparation experience specifically for expats. We put that knowledge to work for you — our clients. It’s critical to inform the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that you are moving abroad and to call our accounting team to make sure you’re prepared before you make the big move.

 

American Expatriates Tax Returns

 

A few things to remember before you become an expat: update your contact information with the IRS so they can properly send your refund or any future correspondence. You can update your address with the IRS by completing Form 8822, Change of Address at any time during the year. Failure to notify the IRS of an address change can be costly. For example it can keep you from contesting a lien for unpaid taxes. At Expatriate Tax Returns, we understand that planning for the big move abroad is challenging and there are already so many things to think about. We can help you alleviate the stress by walking you through this journey hand-in-hand. We’ve helped thousands of U.S. expatriates successfully transition to their new country and we’ll help you too.

No matter where you are in the process of your preparation for becoming an expat, call on us for trusted, professional assistance. There are some many wonderful advantages to being an expatriate, but it’s also a time full of important decisions to make. Here’s an easy one: Call ExpatriateTaxReturns.com today at 877-382-9123 or fill out the form on our Website. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

Don’t Get Audited

The idea that the Internal Revenue Service could audit you is not something you should take lightly. However, it’s also not something that should keep you up at night riddled with anxiety. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they’ll rarely lead to a full-blown audit. Although there’s no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS. At Expatriate Tax Returns we very cautious to ensure that there will not be any red flags in your returns, which is why we are the trusted name in expat tax returns. It’s still important that you are educated about IRS audits.

What exactly is an IRS audit, you might be wondering. Well, there are actually four different types of IRS audits. The first and most basic is known as the Correspondence Audit. This is essentially a letter from the IRS that requests your canceled checks and receipts to verify all deductions that you listed on your income tax return. It is unlikely your business is going to be audited in this way.

audit-expat-tax-returns

An Office Audit identifies several particular items on your return and requests that you send a representative with specific documents to a local IRS office for the auditor to examine the documents. Small businesses with sales under $500,000 often find themselves the subject of this kind of audit.

A Field Audit is what you see on television most of the time. In this kind of audit, an IRS agent personally calls the owner, president, or general partner of the business and informs them they are being audited. The agent usually conducts the audit at the place of business and not in an IRS office. Incorporated businesses and partnerships are generally audited in this way.

Random Audits are when an IRS agent is sent to a random taxpayer to review their income tax return. They aren’t looking for anything specific and they usually do not even review the entire return.

Even U.S. expats can be audited by the IRS and it can be a huge hassle. Expatriate Tax Returns doesn’t want any of our clients to have to undergo this headache. We prepare your expat tax returns in the most responsible, expert fashion to help you avoid any penalties or a potential audit. Trust us to prepare and file your expatriate tax returns each year. Call us today at 877-382-9123 or use the contact form on our website at www.expatriatetaxreturns.com.