9M+
Americans abroad subject to U.S. worldwide income tax
Only 5%
of eligible expats claim the streamlined procedures they qualify for
Big 4
or equivalent experience for every professional on your engagement
WHO WE SERVE
Common situations. Uncommon complexity
Digital Nomad
Working for a U.S. employer from another country or freelancing globally. Unclear on FEIE eligibility, confused about SE tax, and unsure whether your home state will continue to tax you.
High-Net-Worth Expat
Significant foreign assets, investment accounts, possibly a foreign trust or company. The financial footprint that triggers FATCA, PFIC rules, and potentially Subpart F income.
Long-Term Expat
Years abroad, foreign bank and pension accounts, perhaps foreign real estate. Filing on your own - or not filing at all. The compliance gap compounds every year it goes unaddressed.
International Entrepreneur
Running a foreign company - a corporation, LLC, or partnership - while living outside the U.S. Subpart F, NCTI (formerly GILTI), and FBAR apply. Most tax preparers don't know how.
Accidental American
Born in the U.S. or to American parents but never really "American" in practice. Recently discovered filing obligations that have applied for decades.
Pre-Renunciation Client
Seriously considering relinquishing U.S. citizenship. The exit tax regime is permanent. Decisions made in the years before renunciation determine the bill — sometimes dramatically.
What gets expats into serious trouble
These aren't edge cases. We see versions of each in almost every new client engagement.
Filing FEIE when FTC was better
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit are not interchangeable. In high-tax countries, the FTC often produces better long-term outcomes - but once you've taken the FEIE, revocation typically results in a five-year exclusion period.
OPPORTUNITY COST: $5K - $20K PER YEAR, COMPOUNDING
Missing the FBAR threshold
The $10,000 aggregate threshold for FBAR applies at any point during the year - not just December 31. A brief transfer, a multi-account sweep, or a business account you signed on can trigger the obligation. The IRS has gotten very good at finding these.
PENALTY: UP TO $10K PER REPORT
Failing to break state residency
Most U.S. states that levy a personal income tax use an individual's domicile (permanent legal home and where they intend to return) to tax their worldwide income. The most difficult states to break tax residency include: California, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, and New Mexico.
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California requires affirmative action to establish non-residency. Moving abroad doesn't sever domicile on its own. The state will pursue residents who leave without properly establishing domicile elsewhere - including those living abroad for years.
RISK: YEARS OF ACCUMULATED STATE LIABILITY
Not planning before renunciation
For a covered expatriate, worldwide assets are treated as sold at fair market value on the day before expatriation, and gain above the exclusion amount ($910,000 for 2026) is taxed. Gifting, trust restructuring, and gain-harvesting strategies available before that date disappear the moment papers are signed.
RISK: TENS TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN AVOIDABLE TAX
Omitting PFIC Information Return
A U.S. person that is a direct or indirect shareholder of a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) files Form 8621 if they:
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Received a distribution from the fund. This covers payouts, such as dividends or other cash.
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Sold or otherwise disposed of fund shares at a gain. That includes selling, redeeming, or giving away shares that went up in value.
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Made a special tax election for the fund, i.e. a "qualified electing fund" (QEF) or use of the "mark-to-market" method.
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Making a new election this year.
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Many PFIC owners must file Form 8621 every year simply because they own the shares, even if nothing happened.
RISK: STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS;
LOSS OF BENEFICIAL ELECTIONS
Foreign Retirement Plan Planning
A payment from a retirement plan established outside of the United States can be paid by a foreign employer, a trust the foreign employer established, a foreign social security system, a foreign insurance company, or another foreign entity set up to make the payments. Depending on how the specific plan is structured and funded, a foreign retirement plan can be taxed as a foreign employer pension, as a trust the client is deemed to own outright, or as a foreign corporation subject to the PFIC regime.
RISK: TAXABLE DISTRIBUTIONS WHEN BASIS PLANNING COULD HAVE ELIMINATED ANY TAX. FAILURE TO FILE PENALTIES OF $10K.
THE COMPLEXITY
Expat tax isn't hard because you moved.
It's hard because nothing is obvious.
Most expats discover their real tax situation in the worst possible way - during an audit, when renouncing citizenship, or when the IRS sends a notice to an address they no longer use.
OUR SERVICES
What we handle for expats
FEIE & Foreign Tax Credit
The foundational election that shapes every other expat tax decision. We analyze your situation across all relevant years before making a recommendation — and we document why.
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Election analysis: FEIE vs. FTC
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Housing exclusion / deduction planning
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Bona fide residence and physical presence tests
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Prior-year revocation analysis
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Explore FEIE & FTC
Streamlined Filing Procedures
If you've missed years of filing, there is a formal IRS pathway to come into compliance. We evaluate eligibility, prepare the required returns/amendments, and manage the process end to end.
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Streamlined Foreign Offshore (SFOP) and Domestic (SDOP) procedures
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Non-willfulness certification drafting
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Up to 3 years of delinquent returns + 6 years of FBARs
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Risk assessment before submission
FBAR & FATCA Reporting
Two separate disclosure regimes with overlapping but distinct rules. Failure to file correctly - even without tax owed - can carry some of the harshest civil penalties in the federal law.
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FinCEN 114 (FBAR) preparation and filing
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Form 8938 (FATCA) for specified foreign assets
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Foreign financial institution and account analysis
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Willful vs. non-willful determination strategy
Exit Tax & Expatriation
Renouncing citizenship or long-term residency can trigger a mark-to-market deemed sale of all assets. Without planning, the tax cost is permanent once you file. Plan before you do.​
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"Covered expatriate" analysis
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Mark-to-market modeling on all assets
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Deferred compensation and pension treatment
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Pre-expatriation timing and asset restructuring
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Explore Exit Tax Planning
Also: State domicile disputes, treaty elections, Form 2555, foreign pension basis planning, and more. If it sits at the intersection of U.S. tax law and an international life, we've handled it.
The people handling your return are the people who've seen everything.
Every professional engaged by Crossbridge Tax holds a CPA license or bar admission, comes from a Big 4 or equivalent firm, and carries 10+ years of international tax experience. We hold this standard because your situation demands it.