Just because you are living abroad does not mean that you need to file taxes as a citizen of America. Filing taxes while you are staying abroad does not require you to visit US and complete any formalities, and it is a different method altogether. But, you need to file for taxes now matter where you are, what you do, if you wish to stay away from the IRS problems.
If you are a resident/citizen of USA, but currently living or working outside US, you need to fill out IRS Form 2555 EZ and Form 2555 (better known as Foreign Earned Income form). Remember, you are just a taxpayer in the eyes of the IRS, and you are also expected to file your tax return on or before April 15 on a yearly basis, just as all US citizens do.
Plenty of folks are under the illusion that they do not have to file for taxes just because they are not staying or working within the US premises anymore, and they are only liable to pay taxes in the currently they are currently residing in. This is simply a myth, though the US citizens working in a foreign land do get an added two month extension to file for their tax returns.
In case you have recently moved out of US in a hurry, and did not find enough time to collect your W 2 forms from your previous employer, you may ask for an electronic copy of the same. Remember, you are going to need these documents one fine day, and you may have to struggle a lot to find them after a while. If you do not do so, you may have to face IRS problems, and face unnecessary tax issues.
If you do not have time and required level of knowledge on the subject to deal with filing taxes from overseas, you may contact a tax preparer and get rid of all the burdens. A tax preparer may also suggest additional options if your spouse happens to be a non US citizen.
Firstly, you are free to file as married indicating only your income separately. On the other hand, if you have kids, you can indicate that you are the Head of Household and support more than half of your children’s expenses.
In certain cases, your tax preparer may also suggest you to declare your spouse as a resident alien, if you need to file as “Married Filing Jointly” or if you are self employed and own a house as you can be able to claim self employment income and housing deduction. These options may not be too obvious but an experience tax preparer may help you out with all the options available at your disposal, and also guide you in choosing the best one as well.
Given the misery you may have to go through, dealing with unforeseen IRS issues, it is in your interest to consult a skilled tax preparer when filing taxes from another country. No matter what you do, file your taxes on time, to stay away from IRS troubles!
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