When Are U.S. Taxes Due for Expats?

Each year, as the U.S. tax season approaches, citizens must begin preparing to file their taxes and meet the strict deadlines the IRS imposes, and U.S. citizens living and working abroad are no exception. Regardless of where you reside as a U.S. citizen, you are still required to file a federal tax return with the IRS, and pay expat taxes accordingly. The team at Evolution Tax and Legal is here to help you break down the deadlines, extensions, and how you can file your forms with ease this tax season.

Expat Tax Deadlines for 2022

The federal tax deadlines typically remain consistent year-to-year. For the calendar year of January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, the filing deadline for U.S. citizens living with the U.S. is April 18, 2022. For expats, living and working abroad, the deadline is June 15, 2022. Even if you are able to file your taxes in June, there are still deadlines you must be aware of in April.

Estimated Tax Payment Deadlines for U.S. Citizens Living Overseas

If you think you will owe any tax payments this year, the estimated payment deadline is the same day as the filing deadline for citizens living within the United States: April 18, 2022. Even though expats are granted an automatic extension to June for filing, they must follow the payment deadline, or interest will begin accruing on any estimated payments beginning April 18 until the payment is made. Without completing the tax filing, it will be difficult to estimate how much money will be owed in tax payments. As such, it is recommended to file as early as possible if you estimate that you will be making a tax payment to accompany your tax filings.

Certain expats are more likely to owe a tax payment than others. Some situations in which you are likely to have to pay additional taxes include if you live and work in a country with a lower tax rate than the United States, if you are not taxed on your foreign investments, or you still receive income from U.S. sources. If you are in any of these situations, it would be wise to speak with a tax professional to file your return and possible payment as early as possible to avoid accruing interest.

Tax Extensions for Expats

Due to the possibility of lost tax documents throughout the process of international shipping and communication difficulties, the IRS will allow expats to file for an additional extension past the June filing deadline. To apply for the extension, you must request it by June 15, 2022. If the extension is granted, the filing deadline is extended to October 15, 2022. As mentioned above, this is the deadline for filing, and estimated payments must still be made by April 18, or begin accruing interest.

FBAR Filing Deadline

Any U.S. citizen who has more than $10,000 in a foreign-held bank account at any point throughout the tax year that is being filed for must also file an FBAR. The FBAR deadline is April 18, 2022, but similar to the expat tax filing deadline extensions, expats receive an automatic extension for their FBAR filing. The final day the FBAR can be filed is October 15, 2022 and there are no additional extensions past this date.

Filing taxes while located within the U.S. can be complicated, and living and working abroad while trying to juggle tax season and a range of deadlines only makes it that much more difficult. The expat tax attorneys at Evolution Tax and Legal are seasoned professionals in filing international tax returns, and this tax season they can help make your process a breeze. Contact the team at Evolution to learn more about our international tax filing process today.