Living abroad as a US citizen has opened so many doors for me—new cultures, global adventures, and even more affordable healthcare. But one thing that doesn’t change no matter where in the world you go? You’re obligated to file US taxes no matter where you’re living in the world.
The United States is one of only two countries in the world that taxes citizens based on citizenship, instead of residency.
In this post, you’ll learn abou the basics of US expat taxes, how I file my US taxes as an American living abroad, and a review of working with Taxes for Expats on my 2024 US expat tax return. Whether you’re a fellow teacher, entrepreneur, freelancer, or digital nomad, I hope this breakdown helps you simplify the tax side of expat life!
Disclaimer: Advice in this blog post is for educational purposes and from my personal experience. Please reach out to a tax professional as everyone’s tax situation is unique. This blog post contains affiliate links which means I make make a small commission if you make a purchase using one of my links. This helps me to continue to create free content for teachers. Thank you!
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Americans Abroad and US Tax Obligations
Let’s look at some American expat tax basics. If you’re a US citizen or green card holder, you’re required to file your taxes every year—even if you don’t owe anything. The good news? The US has tax treaties with many countries to help prevent double taxation, and you may be able to use one of these:
- Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE)
- Foreign Tax Credit (FTC)
You’ll want to talk to an accountant or professional expat tax preparer like Taxes for Expats to determine which form is best for you.
Another aspect of expat taxes is reporting your foreign bank accounts, pensions, and investment accounts. Depending on how much you have in these accounts, you’ll likely need to file an FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) too.
US Expat Tax Deadlines to Remember
American expats get extra time to file US taxes:
- Standard Deadline: April 15
- Automatic Extension for Expats: June 15
- Optional Extension: Request until October 15
It’s really easy to file the extension request, so even if you don’t plan on using it, I recommend requesting it just in case.
How I File My US Expat Taxes
I’ve been living abroad full-time since 2010 and have filed my US expat taxes myself, as well as through Expat Taxes Online and Taxes for Expats. While I was able to file my taxes through Turbo Tax when I was only an employee, my American expat taxes became more complicated once I became self-employed in 2020 and began using expat tax platforms for my filing needs.
Depending on your situation, you may choose to file yourself or through an expat tax platform. While I had a good experience with Expat Online Taxes for a few years, I did have some issues last year and was grateful when Taxes for Expats reached out this year to help me file my American expat taxes.
Taxes for Expats Review
This year, I filed my US expat taxes using Taxes for Expats, and here’s what the process looked like:
- Online Questionnaire: I answered a few initial questions and received a personalized tax questionnaire based on my answers. Some of the questions asked for documents to be uploaded and I could save the questions as I went. There was also a way to flag questions to come back to later and add my own comments.
- Upload & Review: After completing the tax questionnaire, I was assigned a tax professional who reviewed my info and completed the return. I then had the final say if the tax return was approved or needed further changes.
- Support: I had access to reminders by email, text, and WhatsApp—this was very helpful when I am always busy with different projects as an entrepreneur. The agent who was assigned to me was the only one I communicated with and was always quick to respond.
Pros and Cons of Filing with Taxes for Expats
Pros
- Easy-to-follow process
- Personalized country-specific tips depending on the country you are filing from
- Text and email reminders to keep you on track
- Quick response times from your assigned tax agent
- One dedicated agent from start to finish
Cons
- No convenient phone support (depending on where you live)
- Some back-and-forth with complex returns (like mine, since my husband and I both run businesses)
That said, I felt much more confident with Taxes for Expats compared to Online Expat Taxes. They even caught errors the other company had missed!
Want A Discount On Your First Return?
You can get $50 off your expat tax return using my Taxes for Expats discount link until April 30, 2025. Don’t forget to request the extension to October 15 through the Taxes for Expats portal!
If you’re seeing this post after April 30, 2025, you can still get $25 off your expat tax return using the same link.
Final Thoughts
Living and working abroad as an American has been an incredible journey, but having to file US taxes despite living abroad is a bit of a headache. Save yourself time and stress by letting the tax professionals handle your return.
Thank you to Taxes for Expats for granting me free access to your portal to complete my review. This review is NOT sponsored and as always, opinions are my own.
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