Most people start thinking about U.S. taxes after they arrive. By then, the most valuable planning opportunities are already gone.

You set up a one-person company in Hong Kong, the U.K., or Taiwan to run your consulting work or hold a property. Someone told you it is "disregarded" for U.S. tax purposes, so the income just flows onto your return. That part may be true. What is often missed is that a disregarded foreign entity comes with its own information return, Form 8858, and a $10,000 penalty for each year it is not filed.

If your company is the U.S. arm of an overseas group — a sales or distribution subsidiary of a manufacturer in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, or China — your tax preparer almost certainly files Form 5472 to report transactions with your foreign parent. The question fewer people ask: should your company also have been filing Form 5471 for its foreign sister companies?

Congratulations — the green card is approved. Your immigration attorney has handled the visa. But if you own a company overseas, there is a second deadline most new residents never hear about: the day you become a U.S. tax resident, your foreign company becomes part of your U.S. tax picture.

Internal structure in CFCs If you're a U.S. person who owns (or has a stake in) a company incorporated outside the United States, three terms should be on your radar: Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC), Subpart F income, and GILTI. These rules exist to prevent U.S. shareholders from parking profits offshore indefinitely — and they can generate a current U.S. tax bill even if you never see a dividend from the foreign company. This week, we're breaking down how these three pi

Should you amend a tax return — or wait? In domestic filings, corrections are often straightforward. But when foreign income or international reporting is involved, the decision becomes more strategic. Missed foreign income, FBAR filings, and forms like 8938, 5471, or 3520 can carry penalties even if no tax is owed. This article explains when amending reduces risk, when waiting makes sense, and why international corrections require careful evaluation before taking action.

This webinar recap breaks down the essentials of U.S. taxes for expats, including worldwide income rules, FEIE vs. FTC, PFIC reporting, FBAR/FATCA requirements, foreign business filings, and state residency issues. Watch the full video and learn how to stay compliant while living abroad.

Living abroad can be an exciting chapter in your life, but don’t forget—Uncle Sam still expects a tax return. The U.S. is one of the few...