Why Can’t I Just Do My Expat Tax Return Myself?
While it’s possible to file your own US tax return, expat taxes are a completely different story. Once you live abroad, your return becomes significantly more complex, and the risks of filing incorrectly grow much higher.
Here’s why most expats choose to work with a specialist like Greenback:
More Forms, More Complexity
US expats are often required to file additional forms, including:
- Form 2555 for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE)
- Form 1116 for the Foreign Tax Credit (FTC)
- FBAR (FinCEN 114) to report foreign bank accounts
- FATCA Form 8938 for foreign financial assets
You may also need to consult tax treaties and totalization agreements to avoid double taxation or unexpected liabilities.
It’s Time-Intensive and Error-Prone
Even the IRS estimates over 30 hours for a standard US tax return—and that’s for someone living in the States. Add expat-specific rules, tracking foreign income, and understanding reporting thresholds, and the process becomes even more overwhelming.
You’ll need to:
- Learn the rules that apply to your country of residence
- Find software that supports expat forms (many don’t)
- Manually input complex data and double-check every calculation
And after all that work, you’re still not guaranteed an accurate return.
Greenback Makes It Easy and Accurate
Our expert CPAs and IRS Enrolled Agents specialize in expat taxes—that’s all they do. We’ll ensure your return is:
- 100% accurate and IRS-compliant
- Filed on time
- Optimized to reduce or eliminate double taxation
We’ve helped thousands of expats in 200+ countries file with confidence.
Get started with Greenback and leave the tax stress behind.
