Your first years in the United States come with new tax rules, new forms, and new deadlines. I went through this myself, and we help newcomers start right, in English or in Russian.
What we help with
- Are you a U.S. tax resident? We apply the green card test and the substantial presence test, which counts your days in the U.S. over three years
- Your first return: the year you arrive is often a dual-status year, and some elections can lower your tax
- ITIN for you, your spouse, or children if you cannot get a Social Security number (Form W-7, usually filed with your first return)
- Worldwide income: once you are a resident, you report income from every country, and the foreign tax credit helps avoid paying tax twice
- Foreign bank and investment accounts: FBAR if the total was over $10,000 at any time during the year, and Form 8938 at higher amounts
- Foreign pensions and companies, which have their own forms
- State and local tax returns in any state
Before your first appointment
- Dates of arrival and of every trip outside the U.S. for the last three years
- Your U.S. income forms (W-2, 1099) and income from abroad
- A list of foreign accounts with the highest balance of each during the year
We advise on U.S. tax only. For the tax rules of another country, please consult a tax adviser in that country.