Filing and Paying US Taxes Support

In this section, learn about filing and paying taxes for US expats. As well as, foreign income and the exact forms you need to file your expat taxes, and what to do if you made a mistake on your tax forms as an American expat.

Paying Taxes on Foreign Income and US Income in 2024

Factually stating, living as a US citizen abroad does not prevent you from your US tax duties. All in all, you must file an annual tax return if are over the filing threshold – it’s obligatory. Additionally, you may be liable to pay US taxes, which we’ll get into below.

Any foreign-sourced income you make can be taxed at the same marginal rate as any other regular income being earned within the country.

To avoid double taxation – when the US and foreign country you live in both place tax on your income – the IRS allows expat tax benefits. $120,000 of foreign earned income for tax season 2023 (filing in 2024). Furthermore, the Foreign Tax Credit can be used as a credit for specific types of income – unique to each foreign country, allowing you to offset US income taxes with the income tax you paid to a foreign country

If you’d like to learn more about paying taxes on US and Foreign income then take a look at our blog Paying US Taxes as an American Abroad.

In addition to those two commonly used expat tax benefits, there are also several US tax treaties that prevent double taxation on certain types of income.

US Tax Forms for Filing

As a US American abroad, you not only need to be familiar with tax benefits, but the forms that come with them. Therefore, these are some of the most common forms you will be using to optimize your US expat taxes

If you feel a bit overwhelmed with fill them all manually, then our expat tax software should make you feel a little less stressed. It has all the forms you need, making the US tax filing process much faster.

What happens if you made a mistake when filing?

The IRS Form 1040X can be your saving grace to amend a mistake via your federal tax form. Thus, this form can correct forms 1040, 1040-A, 1040-EZ, 1040-NR, or 1040-NR EZ. Plus, you can change the income amounts previously adjusted by the IRS, and claim a carryback from a loss or unused credit.

Form 1040X allows you to file for an amendment within three years from the original due date you submitted your return. For example, if you made an error on your 2021 tax return, you have until 2024 to make the necessary changes.

Additionally, the IRS uses a technological system to process tax returns. It can identify missing income, mathematical errors, required schedules, and more. So, if your tax forms has a mistake or two, the IRS system can adjust the income/numbers accordingly, and you will receive a notification that changes have been made. 

Then, let’s say you’ve missed filing a tax schedule, the IRS will notify you in two ways: Send you a request to file the program, or will ignore your missing plan and process your return. 

Alternatively, if you made a mistake or entered incorrect information during the MyExpatTaxes process, we offer assistance in amending your taxes through our middle or higher tiers of service.

Get started for free, pick a plan when you’re ready. Or see the Pricing Page for all the details.