Should I Use Software to File My US Taxes as an Expat?

If you are an American citizen but live abroad, you need to file and pay expat taxes every year to the IRS. Even though expat taxes can seem a bit daunting, you should be able to easilye expats consider filing their US taxes using a software.

By selecting reliable software to file your US taxes as an expat, the process of paying your US expat taxes might seem a lot easier. That being said, it’s important to make sure that it’s the best option rather than a route that could land you in hot water!

As an expat, you have three main ways that you can fill out your US taxes while living abroad. You can fill out your tax forms yourself, use an expat tax software, or seek assistance from an expat tax professional.

Some expats choose the DIY route, however filing from abroad isn’t straightforward, as you have to claim credits or exclusions to reduce your U.S. tax bill, so it can be confusing to ensure that you’re fulfilling all the requirements while also claiming all the credits or exclusions you can.

In terms of tax softwares, there are many available. The way they work, they provide all of the tax forms you need, depending on the answers you give to certain questions. Because it is automated though, you still run the risk of missing out on a credit or refund because the software didn’t ask a particular question.

Here is a look at some of the tax software available for expats:

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• H&R Block Expect Tax Services
• MyExpatTaxes
• TaxAct IRS Free File Edition
• TurboTax by Intuit
• TaxSlayer

The only way you can be sure that you’ve fulfilled all your obligations and filed in your best interest is by consulting an expat tax professional. This is because, due to having a conversation with you at the outset, they will understand your whole situation and based on this understanding and their experience, they’ll be able to recommend the best way for you to file, that’s in your short, medium and long term best interest.

While paying to file with an expat tax professional can cost a little more, it will give you the peace of mind that you are filing in the best way possible, as softwares can never really fully understand your circumstances.