Guide · Choosing a CPA
Best International Tax CPAs for U.S. Expats (2026)
This list is by Haigler CPA Group, which ranks itself first. The other firms on it work mainly or only on U.S. expat taxes, online and worldwide: Greenback Expat Tax Services, Bright!Tax, Taxes for Expats, Expat CPA, MyExpatTaxes and Online Taxman. An expat-only firm makes sense if you live abroad long term. A CPA who also knows your U.S. and state situation can be the better fit if you have ties to South Carolina, are moving abroad or are coming home.
Disclosure: This list is published by Haigler CPA Group, which is included in it and appears first. Other firms are described from what their own websites said when we checked them; they did not review this page and are not affiliated with us.
U.S. citizens owe a U.S. return wherever they live, and living abroad adds foreign account reports, a choice between the foreign earned income exclusion and the foreign tax credit, and sometimes years of catch-up filings. Most firms below work only or mainly with U.S. expats and serve clients online. We checked each firm's own website in September 2026 and describe only what it says it does. We left out prices because they change.
What to weigh when you choose
- Credentials of the people who prepare and sign your return (CPA, enrolled agent or both)
- Experience with your situation: foreign pensions, foreign companies, self-employment abroad, dual citizenship or renunciation
- Whether FBAR and Form 8938 reporting are handled together with the income tax return
- Experience with the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures if you are behind
- Whether you also need state returns or a U.S. advisor for a move abroad or back home
1. Haigler CPA Group
James Island, Charleston; virtual engagements · Best for: Americans with South Carolina ties who are moving abroad, living abroad or coming home and want one CPA for U.S. and state returns
Haigler CPA Group is a Charleston CPA firm, not an expat-only firm. Our personal tax service includes expatriate filings, multi-state returns and FBAR and FATCA compliance, and we have published international guides on dual citizens, returning to the United States, FBAR versus Form 8938, Form 1116 versus Form 2555, and the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures. Engagements can be fully virtual. If your finances sit entirely overseas across several countries, one of the expat-focused firms below may be the better fit.
- Expatriate filings and FBAR/FATCA compliance within personal tax
- Five published international tax guides
- Multi-state and South Carolina returns alongside the federal return
- Not an expat-only firm
2. Greenback Expat Tax Services
Online; serves expats worldwide · Best for: Expats who want a dedicated expat firm with a streamlined catch-up package
Greenback describes itself as a tax preparation company for U.S. expats, staffed by CPAs and IRS enrolled agents who work on expat taxes. Its services list includes federal and state returns, a streamlined filing package, FBAR and FATCA reporting, small business returns, late returns, consultations and UK tax services. It also publishes country guides.
- CPAs and enrolled agents focused on expat returns
- Streamlined filing package for catch-up filings
- Publishes country-specific guides
3. Bright!Tax
Online; serves expats worldwide · Best for: Expats who want a firm that does only U.S. expat tax
Bright!Tax says it focuses exclusively on U.S. expat tax. Its services include expat tax preparation, the IRS Streamlined Procedure, consultations, FBAR filing, FATCA reporting and returns for foreign nationals. Its people page lists CPAs and enrolled agents, several with prior Big Four global mobility experience.
- Says U.S. expat tax is all it does
- Streamlined Procedure and FBAR services
- Team of CPAs and enrolled agents
4. Taxes for Expats (TFX)
Online; serves expats worldwide · Best for: Expats with complex situations such as PFICs, IRS letters or expatriation
Taxes for Expats says it has prepared U.S. expat taxes for over 25 years and that every return is reviewed by a preparer and a supervising CPA or EA. Its services menu covers expat and non-resident returns, tax planning consultations, the streamlined foreign and domestic procedures, FBAR and FATCA filing, PFIC reporting, amended returns, IRS letter review and representation, and expatriation taxes.
- Streamlined foreign and domestic procedures
- PFIC reporting and expatriation tax services
- IRS letter review and representation
5. Expat CPA
Irvine, California; serves expats online · Best for: Expats who specifically want a CPA-owned firm
Expat CPA describes itself as a California-based certified public accounting firm, majority owned by CPAs, whose sole focus is American expat tax preparation and planning. Its services include federal and state returns, Form 5471 for foreign corporations, self-employed returns, FATCA and FBAR reporting, the Streamlined Procedure, individual consulting and Form 1040-NR.
- CPA-owned professional accountancy corporation
- Form 5471 for owners of foreign corporations
- Streamlined Procedure and FBAR reporting
6. MyExpatTaxes
Online; serves expats worldwide · Best for: Expats with simpler returns who are comfortable with software plus optional professional review
MyExpatTaxes is expat tax software with options to have a tax professional review and sign the return or to get professional guidance. Its site lists the federal return, FBAR and FATCA forms, a catch-up option for people who have never filed, a renunciation bundle and corporate bundles. It says its founder is an enrolled agent and that its articles are verified by enrolled agents and CPAs.
- Do-it-yourself software with optional professional review
- FBAR and FATCA forms included in the filing
- Catch-up and renunciation options
7. Online Taxman
New York mailing address; serves clients online · Best for: Expats and non-U.S. founders who also run a U.S. company
Online Taxman says it provides personalized tax filing and planning for American expats and for global entrepreneurs with U.S. businesses. Its site covers expat tax preparation, help catching up on missed filings through IRS relief programs, and U.S. LLC and company setup and annual filings, and says it offers support in several languages.
- Expat returns plus U.S. company services
- Catch-up filing through IRS relief programs
- Support in several languages
The filings every expat CPA should handle
- FBAR (FinCEN Form 114): required if the combined value of your foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time during the year. It is due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15, and it is filed electronically with FinCEN, not with your tax return.
- Form 8938 (FATCA): attached to your income tax return when your specified foreign financial assets exceed the threshold for your filing status and residence. It does not replace the FBAR; many people file both.
- Income tax return: if you live abroad on the regular due date, you get an automatic 2-month extension to June 15 and can request more time to October 15 on Form 4868. Interest still runs on tax not paid by April 15.
- Foreign earned income exclusion (Form 2555) or foreign tax credit (Form 1116): the right choice depends on the country's tax rate, your income type and your plans. The exclusion amount changes every year.
If you are behind on filings
The IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are for taxpayers who certify that their failure to report foreign assets and pay tax was not willful, meaning it came from negligence, inadvertence, mistake or a good-faith misunderstanding of the law. There are separate foreign and domestic versions. You cannot use them if the IRS has already opened a civil examination of your returns. Ask any firm you are considering how many streamlined submissions it has prepared and who will write your non-willful certification.
Expat-only firm or a CPA at home?
An expat-only firm sees the same foreign pension, foreign company and treaty questions many times a season. A U.S.-based CPA who knows your home state can be more useful in the year you leave or return, when state residency, a U.S. home you are renting out and U.S. retirement accounts are still in the picture. Some people use both: an expat firm while abroad and a local CPA for the move.
Sources
The information on this site is general in nature and is not tax, legal, or accounting advice for your situation. Tax law changes and the right answer depends on facts we would need to review with you. Please speak with a qualified professional before acting on anything you read here.
Questions people ask about this
Do I have to file a U.S. tax return if I live abroad?
U.S. citizens and resident aliens living abroad generally have the same filing requirements as those at home. If you live abroad on April 15, you get an automatic 2-month extension to June 15, and you can request an extension to October 15.
When is the FBAR due?
The FBAR is due April 15 following the calendar year, with an automatic extension to October 15. You do not need to request the extension.
Is Haigler CPA Group an expat tax specialist?
No. Haigler CPA Group is a Charleston CPA firm whose personal tax service includes expatriate filings and FBAR and FATCA compliance. We have published five international tax guides, but we are not an expat-only firm.
Do I need to file both an FBAR and Form 8938?
Often, yes. Form 8938 is in addition to the FBAR, not a replacement for it, and the two have different thresholds and are filed in different places.
Keep reading
- Best Tax Tips for U.S. Citizens Living AbroadTen U.S. tax tips for Americans abroad: filing when nothing is owed, the June 15 extension, FBAR, Form 8938, exclusion vs. credit and self-employment tax.
- Key FBAR and FATCA Deadlines for ExpatsFBAR, Form 8938, the June 15 expat extension, Form 4868, Form 2350 and Form 3520 dates for U.S. citizens abroad, with the 2026 and 2027 calendar dates.
- Best CPA Firms in Charleston, SC (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of CPA firms with Charleston-area offices, from a James Island tax practice to regional firms offering audit work.
- Personal Tax1040 preparation, tax-saving strategy, and multi-state or expatriate filings.
- International tax guidesFiling from abroad, FBAR and Form 8938, and moving back.
- FBAR vs. Form 8938The FBAR is a FinCEN filing covering foreign financial accounts once they exceed $10,000 in aggregate at any time in the year. Form 8938 is an IRS form attached to your return, covering specified foreign financial assets at much higher thresholds that depend on filing status and whether you live abroad. Filing one does not satisfy the other.
- Streamlined and other delinquent filing pathsThere is no single route back. The Streamlined procedures require certifying that the failure was non-willful, and split into a Foreign version with no penalty and a Domestic version carrying a 5% penalty. Separate procedures exist for late FBARs and late information returns where income was properly reported. Which one fits is a facts question, not a preference.
- Returning to the U.S.: a tax checklistReturning to the United States does not change whether you file — a citizen was already filing — but it changes almost everything about how. The year of the move can split into two periods with different rules, the foreign earned income exclusion is prorated or lost, and the Form 8938 thresholds drop sharply once you no longer live abroad.
- All Charleston tax & accounting guidesEvery list, choosing a CPA and the tax reference lists.
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