Protax Consulting Services Homepage

(US citizens and US green card holders living and working outside the US). US Expats or Expatriates are taxable on worldwide income for their lifetime, unless they expatriate- surrender their US citizenship or Legal Permanent Residence or green card- Please see article- Choosing to Renounce US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residence (Green Card).

There are opportunities for the US Expat or Expatriate to avoid double taxation through the use special exclusions- the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), Housing Exclusion (HE) (Employed) or Housing Deduction (HD) (Self Employed) available on Form 2555- Foreign Earned Income and Foreign tax credits (FTC) available on Form 1116- Foreign Tax Credit, may be considered if the foreign country has a foreign income tax. These are highly complex filings involving complex terminology and only competent international tax CPA's (Certified Public Accountants) should attempt these filings. Please see article- Are You A US Person Thinking Of Accepting A Foreign Assignment?

There are opportunities for the US Expat or Expatriate to avoid double taxation through the use special exclusions- the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), Housing Exclusion (HE) (Employed) or Housing Deduction (HD) (Self Employed) available on Form 2555- Foreign Earned Income and Foreign tax credits (FTC) available on Form 1116- Foreign Tax Credit, may be considered if the foreign country has a foreign income tax.

For US Expats or Expatriates to use the FEIE, HE or HD and FTC they must first qualify by meeting certain criteria/ tests and subsequently file a tax return to receive these benefits. Additionally under the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA) “stacking” must be considered. The interplay mechanism between the FEIE, HE and HD and FTC are highly complex filings involving complex terminology and only competent international tax CPA's (Certified Public Accountants) should attempt these filings. Please see article- Are You A US Person Thinking Of Accepting A Foreign Assignment?

Protax’s services include consultations on and / or explanations of your various US Expat or Expatriate compensation packages, including that as pertains to individual tax equalization or tax protection arrangements.

(Non US citizens or non US green card holders living and working here in the US). Non Resident Alien Foreign Nationals that breach the Substantial Presence Test (SPT) become US Resident Aliens taxable in the US on their worldwide income, similar to US citizens or green card holders. Different visas have different US tax residency implications. These are highly complex filings that involve complex terminology and Internal Revenue Code sections not understood by the majority of CPA practionners, therefore only competent international tax CPA’s should attempt these filings. Please see article- Prefer An American Work Experience?

(Non US citizens or non US green card holders living and working here in the US). Non Resident Alien Foreign Nationals that breach the Substantial Presence Test (SPT) become US Resident Aliens taxable in the US on their worldwide income, similar to US citizens or green card holders. Different visas have different US tax residency implications.

Dual Status filings in transition tax years, US domestic residency elections and resulting state residency consequences increase the scope and complexity of these Foreign Nationals-Nonresident and/ or Resident Aliens filings.

Foreign National-Resident Alien ways out of US tax residency include domestically the Closer Connection Exception available on Form 8840- Closer Connection Exception Statement- and US federally negotiated income tax treaties and social security treaties or totalization agreements that override US domestic tax legislation.

Foreign National-Nonresident and/ or Resident Aliens provisions are highly complex filings that involve complex terminology and Internal Revenue Code sections not understood by the majority of CPA practionners, therefore only competent international tax CPA’s should attempt these filings. Please see article- Prefer An American Work Experience?

After the US Expat or Expatriate US citizen or Legal Permanent Resident (green card holder)- repatriates back to the US or upon the Foreign National-Nonresident and/ or Resident Alien client acquiring their green card or US citizenship, they always stay with Protax services recognizing the value that Protax brings to the table. Protax represents that additional level of US individual tax competence rarely practiced by other CPA’s. In addition locally based individuals generally seek out Protax's services due to our stellar reputation internationally for excellence.