ClearedExpat — U.S. Taxes for Americans Living Abroad
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Guides & checklists
Essential guides for Americans living abroad
Every guide here is built around a real filing decision — not a textbook definition. The goal is to help you choose correctly, file confidently, and avoid the mistakes that cost expats money every year.
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Essential
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
Who qualifies, how the exclusion works, when it helps, and where expats get tripped up.
Read the guide →
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Strategic
FEIE vs Foreign Tax Credit
The most important strategic choice you will make. The right answer depends entirely on where you live and what you earn.
Compare options →
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Important
FBAR and FATCA Filing
Foreign accounts, balance thresholds, reporting rules, and how to avoid penalties that start at $10,000 per violation.
Check requirements →
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17 countries
Country Guides for 🇺🇸 Americans Abroad
🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇬🇧 UK, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇦🇪 UAE, and 11 more — where you live changes every filing decision you make.
Browse all countries →
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Catch up
Streamlined Filing Procedure
Missed returns or FBARs? The IRS has a legal, penalty-free path back into compliance for non-willful cases. Here is how it works.
See how it works →
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Deadlines
Expat Tax Deadlines
April 15, June 15, October 15 — what each date means for you, and why extensions delay filing but not always interest charges.
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Pre-move
Moving Abroad Checklist
Documents, banking, U.S. tax setup, health insurance, and FBAR awareness — what to handle before departure and in the first months after arrival.
View checklist →
Country-specific guides
Country Guides for 🇺🇸 Americans Abroad
Where you live changes everything — which elections make sense, whether a tax treaty applies, how your bank accounts are classified, and what the IRS expects from you. These guides cover the specifics for 17 major expat destinations.
🇲🇽Mexico<br>Largest American expat population — FEIE vs FTC depends on where you earn
🇨🇦Canada<br>TFSA trap, provincial tax rates, and a complex U.S. treaty
🇬🇧United Kingdom<br>High rates make FTC attractive — but the remittance basis complicates things
🇩🇪Germany<br>High foreign rates — the Foreign Tax Credit usually wins here
🇦🇺Australia<br>Superannuation classification and the Australian tax year create filing complications
🇦🇪United Arab Emirates<br>No local income tax — but full U.S. filing obligations remain
🇨🇳China<br>IIT rates up to 45% — FTC is often the stronger strategy here
Browse All 17 Country Guides →<br>🇦🇺 Australia · 🇯🇵 Japan · 🇫🇷 France · 🇹🇭 Thailand · 🇵🇭 Philippines · 🇮🇱 Israel · 🇰🇷 South Korea · 🇪🇸 Spain · 🇮🇳 India · 🇶🇦 Qatar · 🇸🇬 Singapore · 🇨🇳 China
Start here
Physical Presence Test vs Bona Fide Residence — which one applies to you?
To claim the FEIE, you must qualify under one of two tests. Most expats assume they know which one — and many get it wrong. Picking the wrong test can reduce or eliminate the exclusion entirely. This guide walks through both with real scenarios: contractor assignments, partial-year moves, and the India-specific complications most guides miss.
Read the full FEIE guide →
Before you claim the FEIE
Which qualifying<br>test applies?
Most expats pick the wrong one12 min
Free tools
Understand your situation before you file
Fourteen free tools built around the decisions expats actually face. Use them to orient yourself before diving into the guides — or to pressure-test what your tax preparer is telling you.
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FEIE Eligibility Checker
Answer five questions and see whether the physical presence or bona fide residence route looks stronger for your situation.
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FEIE vs FTC Calculator
Enter your income and foreign taxes paid. See which strategy may leave you with a lower U.S. tax bill before you commit to either.
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FBAR Threshold Checker
Track combined foreign account balances and understand whether you are approaching or crossing the $10,000 reporting line.
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Expat Deadline Calendar
See the full filing timeline with extension dates, FBAR deadlines, and practical reminders built for 🇺🇸 Americans living overseas.
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Residency Day Calculator
Track travel days to model FEIE 330-day eligibility and estimated tax-residency status across India, UAE, Singapore, Thailand, and more.
Explore all 14 free expat tax tools<br>→
The five above are the most-used. The full tools hub adds Physical Presence Test, Form 8938 Threshold Checker, Foreign Housing Exclusion, SE Tax Abroad, Streamlined Filing Cost Estimator, Take-Home Pay Abroad, International Transfer Cost, Travel Medical Insurance Estimator, and Cost of Living Abroad.
The author
Fourteen years abroad. Filed from three countries. Built this because nothing else was honest enough.
Fourteen years in international operations — eight-plus years in Qatar's energy sector, three-plus years on manufacturing assignments in China, and now...