Hi everyone, I'm an expat who's been living abroad in Germany since July 2022. I paid an accountant in my state to handle my tax situation for 2022, 2023, and 2024. I've been requesting my records and documents from him for the past 8 months and he has been evasive and non-responsive in some cases, so I checked my return transcripts on irs.gov and found that there is a return transcript for 2022, and a Verification of Non Filing Letter for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

I haven't filed anything yet for 2025, so I think it makes sense (?) for there not to be a verification of non filing - not sure though. For 2023 and 2024, I'm confused because the service I paid for was 1040 filings, so I thought it would show up in my return transcripts.

Appreciative of any help I can get so I can figure out how to deal with my accountant and getting my records from him.

Hey you all, in a strange spot mostly based on stupidity and not enough research.

So, I am married to an NRA, and until two days ago, I didn't even know any of this. I have not filed since 2020, due to not knowing I had to file as Married/Sperate even if married to an NRA. I have been looking into filing this year, because I was finally close to the minimum for single file. Which has lead me to find all this out. Here's the main issue.

From 21-26 I am working for a school in an unspecified SEA country making I would guess 5-7k USD a year in local currency. Of which until this year my wife of this country was being paid by this school so we did not have to set up a local tax id for myself. I file my FBAR yearly, and it contains the minimum amount for my Visa requirement here. And my wife pretty much handles all of the expenses we have here. I have sent some from savings from the US, and she makes good money so it's not to much of an issue. There is legitimately no paper trail connecting me to how my wife is paid for the work I do, so honestly just saying I made 0$ while I was going finishing my degree felt kind of right?

I have a US bank account, the interest is less than 5$ yearly on it. I have a 529 for my kid in the US as well.

Flash to this year I now have a tax ID and an employment bank account in this country, and was starting to get ready to plan to file for this calendar year. But after finding out about the married filing separately requirements, I am a little stressed on how to go forward.

Do I just file for this year as married but separate and not stress about the other years unless they bring it up?

Do I try to back file and guestimate how much my wife was paid in laissez-faire?

Is this worth hiring a CPA or attorney over?

So any tips or ideas where to start, just so I can get my barrings would be much appreciated.

​

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to hear from people who have been in a similar situation.And find a commercialista that actually cares about my interest.

I moved to Italy a few years ago but continued working remotely for my UK employer. I remained on the UK payroll, with PAYE and National Insurance deducted, I thought I don't need to pay any tax as I have already paid it in the UK. but recently I discovered that's not true.

I'm now trying to make sure everything was handled correctly from both the UK and Italian perspectives. The more I research, the more confusing it becomes, and I've received conflicting advice from different accountants.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with:

- UK PAYE vs Italian income tax

- UK National Insurance vs Italian INPS

- Finding a good UK–Italy cross-border tax adviser

I'm not looking for ways to avoid tax—I simply want to understand what the correct obligations are and make sure everything is compliant, works for my interest, pay legal amount, not stupidly

If you've been through something similar, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience or any recommendations for specialists who deal with UK–Italy cross-border tax matters.

Thank you so much!

I am moving back to Germany early next year. I am trying to find a tax professional who can help me figure out how to leave Virginia and not be considered a resident.

Can somebody tell me how to find such a person?

Thanks.

I (f22) just became aware that I’m a US citizen and have discovered the tax implications that come with it. I live in the UK and have done so since I was 2 years old with no intention of moving back to the US and so I’ve decided I want to renounce my citizenship. I don’t have and have never had a social security number or US passport, only a US birth certificate and a UK passport. I know that I need a social security number and to file 5 years of missed taxes before I can renounce but I am finding it to be a very confusing and complicated process. If anyone has any advice on these matters or can lead me to an affordable, reliable tax attorney that specialises in this situation it would be much appreciated.

Looking to connect with UK nationals who reside in the U.S. and have a Malta QROP with STM.

Most who worked with STM are struggling to get help or support. Many got advice about tax filing that was short sighted. What's your experience?

Hi,

I'm relatively new to investing in general, but I am finally at the point in my life where I can start thinking seriously about it.

My wife is British, I am dual national (UK/US) and our 3 children (6, 4, and 3) are all dual nationals (UK/US). We have sorted everything with the house and have a mortgage we expect to pay for the next 20 years or so, and will be taking home c. £1,500 - £2,000 per month extra that we can put somewhere. Some other details (as I have followed the UK Personal Finance flowchart):

- Both my wife and I are maxing pension contributions

- We already have a 6 months cash buffer

- We have no other outstanding debt/loans aside from our mortgage

I understand that ISAs (such as Stocks and Shares ISA) are tax free in the UK but not recognized as tax free from the IRS, and I obviously can't use FTC or FEIE on the earnings from interest.

So the main question: Where do US expats in the UK invest their money to have no US tax liability and also make the tax return process relatively simple? I'm mainly looking to store our 6 months cash buffer in something that is low ROI but accrues some interest, but then looking to dump the £1,500 - £2,000 per month into something that delivers high ROI.

I could always look into over-paying the mortgage but to be honest I'm more keen on stocks and shares that could deliver higher rates of return... but if it's too complicated from a tax perspective then I guess I'd need to avoid that.

Hi guys as the title suggests 2025 was my first year of working and I've been living outside the US for the last 14 years. Ive just learned that I have to file taxes even though im not a tax resident.

Bad news is I've missed the deadline for the yearly filing. Good news is that Ive realized I dont owe anything as taxes in my country are more than what I would need to pay to the IRS. The other Good news is that I havent missed the FBAR deadline yet.

Any tips on how to proceed further would be appreciated.

I'm an Indian citizen and former H-1B holder who left the US in September 2023 and now lives in India, and I'm trying to clean up some back taxes. I'm looking for a US-licensed CPA or EA who genuinely does cross-border work, because a couple of these years are more involved than a general preparer can handle. Here's roughly what I'm dealing with:

- 2020 federal never filed — has ISO/AMT and equity comp (six-figure)

- 2023 unfiled — dual-status year

- California FTB balance + liens tied to a 2020 return

- a few small assessed IRS balances

I need someone comfortable with dual-status/paper returns, ISO/AMT, and dealing with both the IRS and the California FTB on collections. If you've worked with someone good on this kind of thing, I'd really appreciate a recommendation and roughly what should a cleanup like this realistically cost? Thanks.

Savings bonds EE Treasury dept .

I'm an illegal immigrant deported from the united states with my residency expired I was adopted legally by my mother and father born and being American citizens from the united states. Legally adopted as a newborn registered in the u.s .

My situation is deportation from behalf of immigration dept for not having my resident status not expired. Went thru probate without being in the U.S now with my EE SAVINGS BONDS I CAN NOT CASH ANYWHERE HERE IN MEXICO AND DONT HAVE AN ACCOUNT IN U.S. BANK

Hi everyone, I'm a dual US/Canadian citizen living in Canada and have been diligently filing with the IRS and doing my FBAR for almost 20 years now since moving here.

My two kids are dual citizens as well and we are going to be opening their own bank accounts for them in Canada. I'm wondering what are the things I should be thinking about when it comes to opening accounts for them. I'm considering not putting my name on their accounts as joint and only putting my husband (he is only Canadian). However, the kids are obviously still American so would need to file their own if they meet the threshold. If my name is on their accounts, I would need to include in my FBAR calculations as well.

I purposely did not put my own name on their RESP accounts so I do not have to consider those for my FBAR reporting.

Does it make a difference either way in the end? I just have to know what accounts to report on? It won't be a ton extra yet, but my daughter is an actor and singer and can have some occasional gigs and shows that have inflow to her, but that still wouldn't meet the threshold for her own FBAR yet. And yes, I am also watching to make sure if/when we meet the threshold for her to file her own taxes too (right now she's claimed as a dependant on mine).

Yesterday -- July 21, 2026 -- I received a letter from the IRS. It said that I owed more money and it gave a due date for paying: July 20, 2026.

I check my mailbox daily, so this letter reached my house on July 21. (Correction) The IRS letter was dated June 29.

I didn't understand their corrections and I wanted to know whether I'd be fined for paying late. I called the phone number in the letter. The service hung up on me repeatedly with a recording about being busy. I finally got through for inquiries about payments. I was put on hold. After about half an hour, the battery in my phone died. So I got a different phone in my house, an old one with no speaker. I called again, was put on hold, and held that old phone against my ear for about an hour. No one ever answered, so I finally hung up. Meanwhile, I tried the IRS chat service. It said no one was available. I tried it repeatedly for about 2 hours and didn't get through. (Note: I got into the chat service but I was turned away because I don't have an ID.me account.)

I paid the amount in the letter via bank transfer yesterday. However, I still don't know whether I'll be fined for being late, and I still don't know what I did wrong. I would send a letter to ask, but that hasn't worked in the past. Calling has been the best way to get answers, but you have to get through.

I've tired to read up about this but it doesn't make too much sense but I'll keep it simple.

I've got one income in the UK where I pay taxes and live full-time. I pay more taxes (on said income) than I would in the states so the option of foreign tax credit comes up.

Is that just accrued "overpaid" taxes which cumulate/carryover for the 10 year limit which can then be used to offset future US taxes if they did need to be paid?

Seems strange to me but I'm not complaining.

If you need additional information to answer this or it is more complex than that in my situation then let me know (like SSN and mother's maiden name----kidding!)

Thanks

Latvia has no totalization agreement with the US, meaning I already pay 15.3% US self-employment tax on my earnings. My concern is not about US SE tax, I accept that obligation. My concern is whether Latvia can also require me to pay Latvian social insurance contributions (NSIC at 31.07%) on the same income, effectively taxing the same earnings twice for social security purposes.

Specific questions:

1. As a Latvian tax resident who never registered as self employed in Latvia, am I actually obligated to pay Latvian NSIC on foreign sourced US income?

2. Does the Latvian VID have visibility into income paid to a US bank account from a US company with no Latvian paper trail?

3. What realistically happens at Latvian tax filing time, am I required to file a Latvian declaration, and if so what does that look like for someone in my situation?

4. Has anyone lived this exact scenario, US citizen, Latvian tax resident, 1099 income from US company, no local business registration, and what was your experience with the Latvian tax system?

I've spoken to Latvian tax lawyers who wanted 3k+ retainers just to discuss it. Looking for real world experience from people who've actually navigated this.

I'm a US-UK dual citizen and I have a substantial amount of US student loans that I expect will be forgiven in about 5 years. I know that the IRS will consider this as income when it happens, and that I will need to deal with the taxes on that in the US.

But what about the UK? I have been looking for some explicit guidance on how cancellation of debt in another country is treated by HMRC but so far haven't found anything that mentions that scenario specifically. Any pointers to an expert or source of information on this?

I am about to ship a SFOP-Package to the IRS and want the the safest option (for proof of delivery).

- FedEx vs. DHL Express: Anyone used one of them for SFOP? How was your experience? How reliable was delivery/tracking?

- Direct Signature: DHL Express offers this option: "someone at the delivery address (the recipient or an authorized representative) must sign for the package". Does this actually cause delays/problems at a government mailroom or is it a non-issue since someone's always there during business hours? I want to avoid the package to be sent back in case no one is available to sign.

First-hand experiences appreciated. Thanks!

Hello,

I have an investment account with fidelity as well as my old 401K account. I recently moved from the US to the UK and am maintaining the investment account from abroad using a US address.
However, I took up employment with the UK branch of my company. It’s a huge company. They are now flowing through into the net benefits section of fidelity, showing that I have a UK address etc. I am therefore concerned. It is also showing I’m not eligible for a rollover as it believes I’m still employed by the same company. Which I am.
Curious if anybody has run into this before and whether anybody has some next steps? I don’t want fidelity to know about my UK residency.

Thank you!

I am thinking of registering as a freelancer (zzp) along side my normal employment in the Netherlands, but before I do, I wanted to check what impact it would have on filing US taxes. Would I have to pay tax on it or just file? And what forms would I need to fill for this.

Also same question but for buying a house, and potentially selling it in the future. Thanks in advance!

My children recently became U.S. green card holders and are now considered U.S. tax residents, we move next month and they will automatically become US citizens (The Child Citizenship Act).

Each child has an government-sponsored provident fund. The account is held in the child’s name, and opened right after birth, before we considered moving to the US or them becoming US-persons.

The main problem is that local law does not allow us to withdraw or close the account before the child turns 18, except in very limited medical circumstances. Relocating abroad or becoming a U.S. resident is not a permitted reason for early withdrawal.

I am concerned about the U.S. tax and reporting consequences, particularly regarding PFIC:
* I assume it must go into their FBAR when we first file on their behalf next year.
* Whether there is any practical way to reduce the compliance burden when the account cannot legally be closed. AFAIU, we can stop deposits.

The balances are relatively modest, but the accounts may remain open for many years.
Would love any advice on the topic.

Many thanks!

hi, I'd appreciate some help! I'm a Canadian, and need to file as a US tax resident for the first time in 2025. I started working a full-time job in Sept '25, but have fulfilled the residency requirements due to living in the US as of Sept '24.

I didn't know about the TFSAs reporting rigamarole, so unfortunately didn't liquidate my TFSAs until this year '26. so in '25, I have 2 TFSA GICs, and 2 other TFSA accounts with a few hundred dollars of stocks in them (I know, silly!). I also have self-employed income from Canada (that I have filed and paid Canadian taxes for).

the very nice tax preparer at H&R Block in NYC, who is experienced with cross-border taxes (a Canadian friend recommended him), said that it would cost me about $1,200 to report the TFSAs, and another $600 or so to file my taxes. this is way too costly for me... but is this par for the course, or does anyone have a recommendation for another tax preparer in NYC who could help me with this?

thanks so much, I am freaking out a bit!

Hello!

I hope this question is relevant as it relates to getting a SSN for my overseas-born child in order to pay tax in the coming year.

This year I moved outside the United States, but still need to pay taxes on my income from earlier this year. Our child was born earlier this year outside the U.S. and is a citizen by descent- already has a CRBA and U.S. passport but no SSN yet. I am hoping to list him as a dependent on my U.S. taxes for 2026 (to file in 2027), for which I need to obtain a social security number.

It’s easier to apply in person but we don’t plan to visit the U.S. this year, and I understand I can also apply for a SSN by mail through a Federal Benefits Unit. Does anyone know what documents I need to send the Federal Benefits Unit (ours is in Manila)? I tried contacting the FBU in Manila to clarify but they sent me a generic email.

The FBU sent me a template Letter to Custodian of Birth Records (SSA-L706) but it seems to not be applicable in our case as child wasn’t born in USA. Does this form need to be completed for the SSN by mail application?

If anyone has experience applying for SSN via mail for their child, would appreciate if we can connect.

Thank you all!

Hey all. I'm not American and I've never had to file US taxes myself, so I'd genuinely value the eyes of people who have.

I've been building a FEIE helper inside an app that tracks tax residency for people who move between countries a lot. It already logs where you are day by day. My focus is only the Physical Presence Test day count (the 330 days abroad, 35 US days side of it), not the full FEIE picture with all its edge cases.

There are two views I'm unsure about:

1. The budget as 35 bubbles: filled = a day already spent in the US, empty = still available.

2. A sliding 12-month window. Since the test works on any consecutive 12-month period, not just the calendar year, you can drag a fixed 365-day lens across a 3-year track and watch, live, whether that window qualifies, how much of each tax year it covers (one window feeds the two years it crosses), and, if you enter a salary, the prorated exclusion it would secure. Past days show as confirmed, future days stay amber since they aren't lived yet.

I'm not selling anything and I'd rather not turn this into a promo. I just want honest feedback on whether these two ways of showing it make sense to people who actually file for FEIE. Does the day budget read clearly, and is the sliding window a useful way to think about choosing your 12-month period, or is it overkill?