Expat Tax Compliance of California

Expat status requires any U.S. citizen, or foreign citizen working in U.S. territories, to report their income under specific tax filing regulations. Failure to file, or file incorrectly, can result in severe penalties, similar to having domestic IRS tax debt.

If you are a U.S. or foreign citizen in need of expat tax filing help in the state of California, the Expat tax experts at Pure Tax International are ready to speak with you today. Our firm consists of licensed and experience international tax professionals, including CPAs, Accountants, and Tax Attorneys of California with the ability to rectify expat tax issues, and maintain healthy compliance moving forward.

In most cases, U.S. citizens and green card holders working abroad are required to report their international income with their yearly tax filing. This includes income from foreign employment, self-employment, investments, and rental properties. You may also need to file additional forms, such as the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Form 8938 to disclose your foreign assets, which our firm can also help you prepare if needed.

Our team of expat tax filing experts in California can help bring clarity to your unique tax filing requirements, including filing all necessary paperwork and representing you with the IRS to ensure all offshore and expat tax reporting is in compliance.

California expats may also be eligible for various tax benefits and exclusions, such as the foreign earned income exclusion (FEIE), foreign housing exclusion (FHE), and foreign tax credit (FTC). These tax benefits can help reduce your U.S. tax liability and prevent double taxation. If you have paid foreign income tax on wages earned abroad, you may qualify to receive a credit to offset your U.S. income tax. Our team of CPAs and accountants will help bring clarity to your situation and ensure you are taking advantage of these tax benefits if you qualify.

As previously noted, foreign citizens working in U.S. territories may also be subject to filing a U.S. income tax return, which is determined by a standard called the "Substantial Presence Test" (SPT). Under the SPT, the threshold for being recognized as a U.S. taxpaying citizen is living on U.S. soil for at least 31 days during the current year, and, a total of 183 days for the current year and the previous 2 years. Exemptions to these regulations include teachers, students, and professional athletes that fall within certain visa classifications. (Source: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/substantial-presence-test)

If you are a foreign citizen working in California or anywhere in the U.S. that is facing expat tax filing issues, or need assistance preparing tax returns and filing for exemptions, our team of California expat CPAs and attorneys can be of service.

Pure Tax International is a professional international tax firm consisting of licensed Tax Attorneys, Accountants and CPAs providing a full suite of international tax compliance services for California residents. As the expat regulations constantly evolve under the U.S. tax code, our experts maintain fluid knowledge of all tax laws and apply them to the advantage of our clients. Our firm offers a full suite of offshore tax services, including:

Offshore Tax Planning -  Our expat tax attorneys and CPAs can help with expat filing compliance can help setup a proactive foreign tax strategy that maximizes your tax benefits and minimizes your tax liability. This is especially important for California expats who have complex tax situations, such as income from multiple sources or investments in foreign countries.

Preparation of U.S. Tax Returns - Our CPAs can also help with the preparation of your expat tax returns in the U.S. They can ensure that your tax return is filed correctly and on time, and that all the required forms and schedules are included. We can also assist with the completion of additional forms, such as the FBAR and FATCA Form 8938 filing. These forms are required to be filed on a yearly basis and can be complex, especially for expats who have foreign bank accounts and assets.

Tax Attorney Representation - Most importantly, our expat tax attorneys provide a legal advantage for our California expatriate clients. In cases of audits, penalties, or other compliance issues, our international tax attorneys are ABA certified to represent our clients before the IRS, taking on all IRS communications and negotiating offshore or domestic tax settlements.

Our firm offers a 360 degree approach to international tax compliance, and can certainly help with any expatriate tax consulting or filing need you may have. Give us a call at (424) 269-2774 or complete our online form to arrange a free consultation with our experts.