Form 1116 Passive vs General Category: Sorting UK Income Correctly
Foreign tax credits are calculated basket by basket, and excess credits cannot cross between them. How to sort UK salary…
US ETFs and UK Reporting Fund Status: The Double Trap for Americans
Americans living in Britain must avoid UK funds because of the PFIC rules, yet many US funds lack HMRC reporting status,…
Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures: Filing Late FBARs Safely
If you reported all your foreign income but never filed FBARs, the IRS has a simpler route than streamlined filing. Who …
UK Pension and Form 3520: Do Americans Need to File?
A UK pension is usually a trust, and US persons with foreign trusts face Forms 3520 and 3520-A. Which UK pensions are ex…
The 183-Day Rule in the UK, US and UAE: What It Really Means
Spending under 183 days in a country does not guarantee non-residence. How the UK Statutory Residence Test, the US Subst…
Expat Tax Software vs Accountant: Which Do Americans in the UK Need?
A simple salary-only return can be filed with software. A SIPP, an ISA holding funds, a UK Ltd or missed FBARs cannot. A…
Form 2350 Extension: Extra Time to Qualify for the FEIE
Americans in their first year abroad often cannot pass the physical presence or bona fide residence test by the filing d…
Streamlined Filing Years: Which Returns and FBARs to File
The streamlined procedures ask for three years of returns and six years of FBARs, but which three and which six depends …
Salary vs Dividends for a US Citizen Running a UK Ltd
The standard UK director's pay mix of a small salary and large dividends can cost an American owner more tax, not less. …
Premium Bonds and US Tax: A Guide for American Savers
Premium Bond prizes are free of UK tax, but a US citizen living in Britain still has to answer to the IRS. How prizes ar…
US-UK Tax Treaty Dividend Withholding: 15%, 5% or 0%
UK residents pay 30% US tax on American dividends unless they claim Article 10 of the treaty. Which rate applies, how W-…
Foreign Tax Credit Without Form 1116: The $300 Election
Small amounts of foreign tax on fund dividends can go straight onto Schedule 3 with no Form 1116. Who qualifies for the …
FBAR Maximum Account Value: How to Calculate It Correctly
The FBAR asks for each foreign account's highest balance in the year, not its closing balance. How to find the peak, whi…
UK Pension Drawdown and US Tax: How Americans Report It
Flexi-access drawdown gives Americans with UK pensions control over when they take income, but the IRS and HMRC tax it o…
Temporary Non-Residence Rules: Leaving the UK for Dubai
Moving from London to Dubai does not always put a share sale beyond HMRC. How the UK's five-year temporary non-residence…
Form 8832 for a UK Limited Company: The Check-the-Box Election
A UK Ltd is a foreign corporation for US tax unless its owner elects otherwise. What a check-the-box election changes, t…
Streamlined Domestic Offshore Penalty: How the 5% Is Calculated
The 5% miscellaneous offshore penalty is the biggest cost of SDOP and the easiest to miscalculate. Which assets and year…
Foreign Housing Exclusion in London: 2025 and 2026 Limits
London has its own IRS housing cap, far above the standard 30% limit. The 2025 and 2026 figures, what counts as a housin…
UK Savings and Dividend Allowances: Why They Leave a US Tax Bill
The personal savings allowance and the £500 dividend allowance save a British taxpayer money and leave an American with …
Questions to Ask a US-UK Tax Adviser Before You Hire One
Most cross-border problems come from two competent advisers each doing half the job. The questions that reveal whether a…
Treaty Re-Sourcing on Form 1116: Crediting UK Tax on US Dividends and Gains
US dividends taxed by HMRC would otherwise be taxed twice. How Article 24 re-sourcing works, when it does not apply, and…
W-8BEN vs W-9 for Americans in the UK: Which Form Your Bank Actually Wants
Status decides the form, not your address. Why a US citizen in Britain signs a W-9 for a UK bank, when W-8BEN applies to…
FBAR Signature Authority: Employer, Joint and Family Accounts You Must Report
You report foreign accounts you merely sign on: your employer's, a parent's under power of attorney, the club account yo…
The UK 25% Pension Lump Sum and US Tax: Why the Treaty Does Not Save It
Tax-free in Britain, taxable in America. How the saving clause strips the treaty protection from a UK pension lump sum f…