Best place to get help with my taxes ?

[BeauJangles]

To make a long story short, I worked abroad in 2008 as a foreign citizen. My father, who was supposed to file my US taxes while I was gone, never did. I just found this out. Now I believe because I filed taxes as a Canadian citizen, I don't owe any tax to the US government, but I still never filed a return.

(a) Do I need to? (I don't think I do, but I would rather have them filed with zero reported income).

(b) Where is the best place to go to get help filling out the forms?

There is a stickied thread for tax questions. -DrPizza

 

[Jadow]

Just ask around to people you know and get references for a good local accountant. I'd avoid H&R Block like the plague and also avoid using software if you have issues like this.

Check with relatives (uncles, parents friends who are well off) or coworkers.

 

[BeauJangles]

Just ask around to people you know and get references for a good local accountant. I'd avoid H&R Block like the plague and also avoid using software if you have issues like this.

Check with relatives (uncles, parents friends who are well off) or coworkers.

Yeah, I'm probably going to go that route simply because I also need to file my 2009 taxes sometime soon. It would just suck to pay someone to fill out an essentially blank return. Oh well.

Just poked around the IRS site and found out that I don't need to file a federal return for that year, although, like I said, I would like to. Obviously there are no state taxes because I didn't live in-state.

 

[Fern]

To make a long story short, I worked abroad in 2008 as a foreign citizen. My father, who was supposed to file my US taxes while I was gone, never did. I just found this out. Now I believe because I filed taxes as a Canadian citizen, I don't owe any tax to the US government, but I still never filed a return.

(a) Do I need to? (I don't think I do, but I would rather have them filed with zero reported income).

(b) Where is the best place to go to get help filling out the forms?

If you're a US citizen, or Green Card holder, you must file US tax returns even if you work(ed) abroad. If you meet the requirements (legal resident in foreign country or Physical Presence test) you may be able to exclude the wages you earned attributable to work outside the USA. This is called the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, see Form 2555. The Foreign Tax Credit may also apply.

This is pretty specialized stuff, the average tax preparer is not likley familiar with it. Often the company sending US employees abroad will help them by hiring tax preparers to handle their tax return.

The foreign location may well have US tax preparers there helping expats with their returns.

You might start by contacting the IRS about your outstanding (and overdue) tax returns, they may be willing to help you prepare them.

Otherwise, I sugest before hiring a tax return preparer you question tham to see if they are experienced with Form 2555 etc. You might need to look up (google whatever) who may not be in your area and send them you information etc. I.e., get somone who knows what they are doing, and it helps if they are familiar with the tax rules etc of the foreign country you were working in.

BTW: This tax thread is supposed to be in the ATOT tax time thread that is stickied at the top. I.e., keep an eye out cuz this will be either locked or moved

Fern

 

[SandEagle]

just use turbotax

 

[Fern]

-snip-
Obviously there are no state taxes because I didn't live in-state.

Nope, it's not as simple as that.

Differetn states have different rules. Some accept the Foreign Earned Income exclusion, some don't. Some will claim that you continue to be a resident of the state until you establish residency in another state in the USA (i.e., moving to a foreign country essential means you still in that state and must file and pay taxes).

You'll need to find the rules for your state (or the state you in lived in being moving abroad).

Fern

 

[Fern]

For more US tax info see IRS Publication 54

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p54.pdf

Fern

 

[DrPizza]

To continue with more questions, please post in the stickied thread at the top of the OT forum.

Thanks,
DrPizza