Mark Anderson, US CPA in Thailand & US Expat Tax Help

Living abroad as an American comes with incredible freedom — but it also comes with a tax obligation that follows you across every border. The United States is one of only two countries in the world that taxes its citizens on worldwide income, regardless of where they live. If you are a US citizen or green card holder residing overseas, understanding how US expat tax services work is not optional. It is essential. This guide breaks down everything you need to know in 2026 — from filing requirements and key deadlines to the exclusions that can legally reduce your tax bill to zero. Why Americans Abroad Still Owe the IRS Many expats are surprised to discover that moving out of the US does not end their IRS obligations. As the IRS confirms, US citizens and resident aliens must report worldwide income from all sources and file returns under the same rules that apply domestically. Living in Thailand, Portugal, or anywhere else does not grant an exemption. This is precisely why working with ...

  As a CPA, I lose clients to DIY software every tax season. So I bought subscriptions to all five platforms and tested them against real expat scenarios. Here’s my honest, unsponsored verdict. Tested: TurboTax  ·  MyExpatTaxes  ·  OnlineTaxman  ·  TFX  ·  H&R Block   Every tax season I lose a few clients to DIY software. They come back the following year having missed the Foreign Housing Exclusion, or having filed FEIE when FTC would have saved them $4,000, or — worst case — having filed incorrectly and now facing IRS scrutiny. I don’t blame them. Software is cheaper upfront, available at midnight, and doesn’t require scheduling a call. So I decided to actually test these tools properly: I bought full subscriptions to five expat tax platforms, ran them through four real-world scenarios, and documented exactly where each one succeeds and fails. This is not a sponsored review. No platform knew I was testing them. Methodology: How I Te...