Mel Whitney

The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, FIRPTA, is part of US tax law that can require withholding when a foreign person sells US real estate. In a typical sale, the buyer has the immediate filing duty, not the seller. That is why buyers, closing teams, and foreign owners all need the rules right before funds move at closing.</...

A passive foreign investment company is defined by what a foreign corporation earns or holds – specifically, the 75% passive income test or the 50% passive asset test under IRC Sec. 1297(a). A controlled foreign corporation is defined by who owns it – US shareholders owning at least 10% each must collectively hold more than 50% of the...

If you are a US person and your aggregate foreign financial account balances exceeded $10,000 at any point during the calendar year, you must file FinCEN Form 114 – the Repo...

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion lets qualifying US expats exclude up to $130,000 of 2025 earned income on the US tax return filed in 2026. For tax year 2026, the FEIE cap rises to $132,900, but that amount generally applies to returns filed in 2027. FEIE may reduce ...

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If you're a US citizen or green card holder earning income abroad, one of the first tax decisions each year is whether to use the Foreign Tax Credit (FTC), the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), or both. The choice affects how much US tax you owe, whether you qualify for refundable credits like the Additional Child Tax Credit, and whethe...