On November 2nd, the House of Representatives unveiled the first draft of the Trump Tax Reform Bill. Here we look at how it will affect expats.

Citizen Based Taxation and FATCA 

There is no mention in the draft Tax Reform Bill of any change to citizen based taxation for individuals, or of repealing FATCA.

It is proposed that corporations are only taxed on their US profits (rather than globally), as taxing corporations globally has (conversely to expectations) reduced government revenue, as globally operating firms have simply relocated to other countries with more favorable tax regimes.

Despite ACA (American Citizens Abroad) lobbying to make a similar change away from global taxation for expat individuals, there is no mention of this in the draft bill. Read More

President Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, along with his associate Richard Gates, were indicted last week, with a long list of criminal charges filed against them.

The charges include engaging in conspiracies against the United States and to launder money, making false statements, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, and failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts.

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Americans living abroad are still required to file a US tax return, reporting their worldwide income, as well as obey the tax rules in the country where they live.

Many US expat have settled abroad permanently though, and they justifiably wonder why they must continue filing a US tax return every year, even if they don’t pay any US taxes because they claim one or more of the exemptions available to expats, such as the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or the Foreign Tax Credit, when they file.

As a result, many US expats consider renouncing their American citizenship.

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Living abroad is an incredible adventure that inevitably broadens our horizons and minds, thanks to the perspective we gain from living in a foreign country and experiencing a new culture.Living abroad is an incredible adventure that inevitably broadens our horizons and minds, thanks to the perspective we gain from living in a foreign country and experiencing a new culture.

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