Living abroad

Filing a US tax return from abroad: who must file, and by when

Living abroad doesn't end your US tax return. Here is who must file, the June 15 and October 15 deadlines, and what changes on the return once you live overseas.

FBAR explained: the $10,000 rule every American abroad has to know

If your foreign accounts together topped $10,000 at any point in the year, you owe FinCEN an FBAR. Who files, what counts, the deadlines and how to fix missed years.

FATCA and Form 8938: what your foreign bank tells the IRS, and what you tell it

FATCA makes foreign banks report Americans' accounts, and makes you file Form 8938 above certain thresholds. Here's how it differs from the FBAR and the higher limits abroad.

Foreign earned income exclusion vs foreign tax credit: which one cuts your US tax more

The exclusion (Form 2555) and the foreign tax credit (Form 1116) both stop double tax. How each works, the 330-day test, the housing exclusion and which fits your country.

Tax treaties and totalization agreements: what they really do for Americans abroad

A US tax treaty rarely cuts a citizen's US tax, thanks to the saving clause. Totalization agreements are more useful: they stop you paying Social Security in two countries.

State taxes after you move abroad: why your old state may still want a return

Your federal return follows you abroad by law. Your state return follows you only if you never really left. Here's how domicile works and how to cut the tie cleanly.

Catching up on missed US tax returns: how the Streamlined procedures work

Plenty of Americans abroad find out years late that they should have been filing. The IRS has a no-penalty route back for people who qualify. Here's how it works.

PFICs: why that local index fund is a US tax headache

The low-cost index fund your local bank recommends is probably a PFIC under US tax law. Here's why that's costly for Americans and what people invest in instead.

Self-employed abroad: why you can owe US tax on income you excluded

Freelancers abroad are often surprised: income tax can be zero while US self-employment tax is still due. Here's how it works and when a totalization agreement helps.

Married to a non-American: choosing your US filing status

If your spouse isn't a US citizen or resident, your filing status is a real choice with real trade-offs. Here's how the options work and what each one pulls into the US system.

Banking as an American abroad: why banks say no, and how to get a yes

FATCA makes US customers extra paperwork for foreign banks, so some refuse. Here's why it happens and how to find one that will take you.

Keeping a US bank account and US address: what to tell your bank when you move

Your US checking account is worth keeping. Here's why banks close accounts for customers abroad, and which address to give whom.

Sending money between the US and abroad: wires, transfer services and the rules on big amounts

The fee is only half the price of a transfer. Here's how to compare wires and transfer services, and which big transfers have to be reported.

Keeping your US credit score alive from abroad: what counts, what doesn't, and how to come back

Your foreign mortgage won't help your US score. Here's how to keep a US credit file alive from abroad and rebuild it if it goes quiet.

Student loans while living abroad: repayment plans, foreign income and PSLF

Moving abroad doesn't pause your federal student loans. Here's how income-driven plans treat foreign income, and when work abroad counts for PSLF.

Your 401(k) and IRA abroad: keep, contribute or cash out?

Your US retirement accounts can move abroad with you, but contributing, withdrawing and getting taxed in two countries all work differently once you leave.

Social Security abroad: getting paid, where you can't, and what changed in 2025

US citizens can collect Social Security in most countries. Here's how payments reach you, where they can't, and what the 2025 Social Security Fairness Act changed.

Medicare abroad: why it won't pay overseas, and whether to keep Part B

Medicare almost never pays for care overseas, but dropping Part B can cost you for life if you move back. Here's how to weigh it.

Retiring abroad: how the main retirement visas work for Americans

Most retiree visas ask the same three things: steady income, health insurance and a clean record. Here's how Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Thailand, the Philippines and Panama compare.

Renewing a US passport abroad: how it works from overseas

Most Americans abroad renew through the local US embassy or consulate. Here's who can use Form DS-82, what children need, and what to do in an emergency.

Registering a child born abroad: the CRBA, step by step

A baby born abroad to a US citizen may be American from birth, but you have to prove it. Here's how the CRBA works, who qualifies, and what to bring.

Dual citizenship and US law: two passports, one set of US rules

The US lets you hold a second citizenship without asking permission. But it still expects its passport at the border and its tax return every year.

Renouncing US citizenship: the process, the fee and the exit tax

Renouncing is permanent and done in person at an embassy. Here's the consular process, the 2026 fee, the IRS exit tax rules and what stays the same afterward.

STEP and US embassies: what help you can actually expect

STEP is free and takes ten minutes. Here's why residents abroad should enroll, and what a US embassy can and can't do when things go wrong.

Voting and obligations

Voting from abroad: the FPCA, the backup ballot and your voting state

Living abroad doesn't take away your vote. Send the FPCA every January, know your voting state, and keep the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot as a backup.

Voting and obligations

Jury duty and Selective Service from abroad: the duties that follow you

Moving abroad ends some US duties and not others. Here's how to answer a jury summons from overseas, register with Selective Service, and what else still applies.

Moving abroad checklist: what Americans should do, and in what order

A step-by-step moving checklist for Americans: what to sort six months out, what to do the week you leave, and what to set up in your first month abroad.

Shipping your things and pets abroad: container, air freight or suitcase?

How to choose between a container, air freight and extra suitcases, how the USDA pet health certificate works, and what's not worth shipping overseas.

Moving back to the US: the return checklist for taxes, health insurance and credit

Coming home has its own paperwork. Here's how to handle your final expat tax year, get health insurance from day one, rebuild your credit and wind down foreign accounts.

Driving abroad on a US license: when it's enough and when you need a local one

A US license works for visitors in many countries but rarely for residents. Here's how the IDP, license exchanges and state renewals from abroad actually work.