Site NavigationLiving Overseas? You Still Need to Pay Your Taxes
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If you are living in the US you will have to pay your taxes, that is a given but did you know that as an American citizen you are liable to file your taxes even if you are residing in a foreign country? Now, even though the procedure to file taxes from foreign country is different from the procedure to file your taxes from back home, you need to make sure that you go ahead and file your returns to avoid getting into trouble with the IRS. The last thing that you need is an IRS notice waiting for you when you get back from your overseas jaunt. Living and working outside the US can offer you a wonderful opportunity to gain valuable experience and to enjoy some of the wonders of a foreign country but it is essential to be meticulous with your tax filing in order to avoid problems with the irs in future.
Even though the procedure to file your taxes from a foreign country is fairly easy and straight forward, many people give it a miss simply because they are under the impression that just because they do not work and reside in the US they are not required to pay taxes o file tax returns. You have to understand that the IRS expects all US citizens to file their returns regardless of the country they reside in.
As an American citizen working outside the US, you will need two IRS Forms: the 2555-EZ and form 2555 or the Foreign Earned Income Form. To qualify to file your returns from foreign shores, you should be a US citizen residing in a foreign country.
The date for filing your tax returns is the same as the tax filing date for citizens who live in the US, so you will be filing your taxes on April 15 but since you don't live within the US you will automatically be granted an extension of 2 months. This extension gives you more time to collect the relevant forms and documents and to pay any outstanding tax dues. In order to get the 2 month extension you will have to attach a statement to let the IRS know that you qualify for it.
One of the primary issues encountered by people who have just moved abroad is that they have either left some of their tax information back home or failed to collect their W-2forms from their employer and these were sent to the old US mailing address. A good way to remedy the situation is to either furnish your employer with your new address or ask a friend or relative to collect the documents on your behalf; either way to gather all the relevant documents is entirely your responsibility.
If you couldn't get a copy of the W-2 form the first time around you can always ask your company to resend it to you. Another way to avoid the problems associated with lost documents or ones that you don't have is to ask your company to send you a copy of the document through email. This way you can start the procedure for tax filing even when you don't have the physical copy of te documents in your hand.
While living abroad you have choices as far as filing your tax returns go, you can file your taxes together with your spouse or separately, if your spouse is a foreign national you will have to file them inadvisably. If you have children, you may qualify as the head of household if you are responsible for more than half of the child support. Another option is to declare your spouse as a resident alien.
It is advisable to get in touch with a tax preparer when filing taxes from foreign shores. Alternatively, you could get in touch with a tax attorney who handles tax issues for Americans living abroad. There are several eminent tax lawyers in the Dallas that you can get in touch with if you hail from Dallas Fortworth.
Filing your taxes diligently even while you re living outside the country is the best way to prevent future IRS issues
About the Author:
Seomul Evans is SEO Services Consultant. Learn more about Dallas Tax Help, Dallas IRS Attorney.
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