Why this site exists
Americans abroad get bad information from two directions. U.S. advice often ignores the foreign accounts, foreign pensions and foreign funds that are normal parts of life overseas. Local advice in the country where you live usually has no idea that the United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income. The result is a lot of good people who are years behind on filings they never knew existed.
This site is the plain-English version of the rules: FBAR, Form 8938, the streamlined procedures, the foreign earned income exclusion, PFICs, Form 3520, passports and expatriation. Every legal statement is tied to the statute, the regulation or the IRS guidance it comes from.
How I work with clients overseas
IRS international compliance work is done on paper, through e-filing and over the phone. A signed Form 2848 lets me deal with the IRS directly. Clients send documents electronically, we talk at a time that works across time zones, and nobody needs to book a flight.
Before tax work, I was a public defender. That background matters more than people expect in this area, because the first question in many foreign account cases is whether the conduct was willful or non-willful, and the answer drives every option that follows.
You talk to a lawyer here. If you want to know where you stand, let's talk.