The IRS Quietly Ended Penalty-Free Late FBARs: A Late Filer's Guide
The IRS pulled its Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures on July 1, 2026. Late FBARs still aren't auto-penalized — reasonable cause is now your shield.
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Expatriate
Tax guidance, financial planning, and accounting advice for Americans living abroad
Leaving the US? You May Need an IRS Sailing Permit Before You Board
Most non-citizens leaving the US need an IRS sailing permit: file Form 2063 or 1040-C in person 2 weeks to 30 days before you depart.
Digital Nomad Tax Residency in 2026: Why the 183-Day Rule Won't Save You
Staying under 183 days in a country does not make you a non-resident anywhere. U.S. nomads still owe worldwide income tax, the 2026 Foreign Earned Income Exclusion caps at $132,900 and never covers the 15.3% self-employment tax, the tax-home test disqualifies perpetual travelers, and FBAR triggers at $10,000 aggregated across all foreign accounts.
El Salvador Now Asks Just 90 Days a Year: A Freelancer's Guide to the New Residency Math
Since March 31, 2026, El Salvador's Decreto 531 requires temporary residents to spend only 90 calendar days a year in the country instead of roughly nine months. Here is how the three main residency routes compare, what territorial tax and the U.S. foreign earned income exclusion actually cover, and the ledger habits that keep presence days, income sourcing, and renewal files audit-ready.
The New 1% Remittance Transfer Tax: What Small Businesses Paying Overseas Contractors Need to Know in 2026
Since January 1, 2026, cash-funded remittance transfers sent abroad are subject to a 1% federal excise tax collected by providers and reported on Form 720. This guide explains what triggers the tax, which bank-funded transfers are exempt, and how small businesses should record the tax, fees, and contractor payments.
Form 8858 for Foreign Disregarded Entities and Foreign Branches: A Practical Filing Guide for Expat Founders, Multinationals, and U.S. LLC Owners Abroad
Form 8858 reports foreign disregarded entities and foreign branches on a U.S. return, and missing one carries a $10,000 penalty per entity per year that can snowball to $50,000 after IRS notice. This guide covers who must file, Schedules C through M, Section 987 currency calculations, the Schedule K-2/K-3 box 11 connection for Category 6 filers, and the four paths back into compliance.
Section 7701(b) Substantial Presence Test for Foreign Entrepreneurs: The 183-Day Formula, Closer Connection, and Treaty Tie-Breakers
A practical walkthrough of IRC Section 7701(b) for globally mobile founders — the 31-day floor, the weighted three-year 183-day formula, exempt-individual rules, the closer connection exception (Form 8840), and treaty tie-breakers (Form 8833) — with a worked example showing how 130 U.S. days in 2026 can trigger worldwide taxation.
The U.S. Exit Tax in 2026: How Form 8854 and Section 877A Tax You on the Way Out
Section 877A treats covered expatriates as if they sold every asset the day before leaving the United States. For 2026 the net-tax threshold is $211,000, the net-worth test sits at $2 million, and the gain exclusion is $910,000 — here is how Form 8854 decides whether you pay.
Foreign Tax Credit vs. Foreign Earned Income Exclusion: Which Should Expats Pick in 2026?
A side-by-side guide to Form 1116 (Foreign Tax Credit) and Form 2555 (Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) for expats and cross-border workers in 2026 — the $132,900 FEIE cap, the five-year revocation lock-in, the FTC stacking rule, and a worked example showing when each one actually saves money.
Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures: How Non-Willful US Taxpayers Catch Up on FBAR, Form 8938, and Three Years of Late Returns Without Crushing Penalties
How non-willful US taxpayers use the IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures to catch up on FBAR, Form 8938, and three years of late returns—zero penalty under SFOP for taxpayers abroad, a one-time 5% miscellaneous offshore penalty under SDOP for domestic filers, plus what the non-willfulness certification must demonstrate.
GILTI and the Section 962 Election: How US Shareholders of Foreign Corporations Can Slash Their Tax Bill
A Section 962 election lets US individual owners of a controlled foreign corporation be taxed on GILTI/NCTI at corporate rates, cutting the effective US rate from up to 37% to roughly 12.6% in 2026. The OBBBA reduced the Section 250 deduction to 40%, eliminated the QBAI carve-out, and raised the indirect foreign tax credit cap from 80% to 90% — but PTEP rules can still trigger a second layer of US tax when earnings are eventually distributed.
The PFIC Form 8621 Tax Trap: Why US Investors Get Punished for Owning Foreign Mutual Funds and ETFs
PFICs (foreign mutual funds, UCITS ETFs) trigger Section 1291 tax for US investors — gains allocated across the holding period, taxed at top ordinary rates, plus compounded interest charges. This guide covers Form 8621, the QEF and mark-to-market elections, the $25k/$50k de minimis filing exception, and how to escape the trap.