Start with the situation
This is the core expat tax question. Many readers have lived abroad for years and need a calm starting point before deciding whether returns, foreign account reports, or professional cleanup help are needed.
What to check
Review citizenship or residency status, filing history, foreign income, foreign taxes paid, foreign accounts, currency conversion, and whether any IRS notice or foreign-account reporting deadline is active.
Useful next steps
- Confirm whether you are a U.S. citizen, green-card holder, or resident alien for U.S. tax purposes.
- List each year you lived abroad and whether a U.S. return was filed.
- Gather foreign wage, self-employment, investment, pension, and tax records.
- Check whether foreign bank or financial asset reporting may also apply.
Risks to keep in view
- Living abroad does not automatically remove U.S. filing duties.
- Foreign income may still need to be reported even if it may later be excluded or offset.
- Missed foreign account reporting can create separate compliance issues.
Documents that usually help
- Foreign wage or self-employment records
- Foreign tax returns
- Foreign bank account records
- Prior U.S. returns
- IRS notices
- Currency conversion notes
When a professional review may help
Get professional help if several years are unfiled, foreign accounts are involved, self-employment income exists, or an IRS notice has arrived overseas.
Sources and official resources
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