Filing US Taxes

Are there tax specialists in the UK that can file taxes for the US? I'm on the fence about just sending all of my documents to my parents and having them drop it all off at my usual tax lady's house. Any suggestions?

Hello,

I would recommend you check out our tax preparation service - www.taxesforexpats.com. We are a New York based firm specializing in US expatriate tax filing. IE our sole business focus is tax advice and preparation for Americans who are living abroad.

Check out our site and feel free to ask us if you have any questions.

Best,

There are indeed several US tax practices in the UK.  Some are larger firms with 20 or more people.  These firms have overheads such as salary costs and rents and professional indemnity insurances which will mean higher hourly rates than could be charged by a one-person business.  The advantage of a slightly larger firm will be that the company will have a broadrer range of skills from US/UK estate planning, corporate structuring and through the additional complications of the US/UK treaty.  There are nonetheless several one-person businesses here in the UK who are entirely competent.

I would suggest never to use anyone who is not qualified in both the US and the UK so as to avoid doing something that sounds really sensible from one countries' perspective, but which could end up costing more in the other country.

I usually stay above the fray. But here I would caution against getting advice from someone whose only point is to smear a business competitor while hiding behind a cloak of anonymity. Just saying...

I see no fray, or afray.  This is a web forum and open frank discussion through rational argument is usually the way that these things work.  I suggest a dual qualified adviser.  Period.  What is strange about that?

I do not self-promote via web forums, deliberately, because there are several excellent tax advisers about and the general rule of deciding on one that fits your circumstances best is the right one.  For tax advice for individuals resident in the UK, in my experience that will typically be a UK resident person who is dual US/UK qualified so that UK specific issues can also be considered such as the taxation and reporting of UK stakeholder pensions, SIPPS, personal pensions, child benefit, heath in pregnancy grant, winter fuel payment, premium bonds, UK pensions, tax credits etc.  I am sorry if this is read as poor wording, but it remains my opinion.

I have no personal truck here, I have just seen enough returns done wrongly with things missing such as FBARs , 3520s, 5471s, subpart F income, ISAs and PFICs to know that intelligently rounded advice is often needed.  All of the comments I have seen from taxesforexpats are intelligent and rounded.  Absolutely.

Thanks everyone!