Mel Whitney

Form 8288 is the US Withholding Tax Return for Certain Dispositions by Foreign Persons. The withholding agent, typically the buyer of a USRPI, withholds 15% of the amount realized (IRC § 1445(a)) and remits the tax with Form 8288 to the IRS within 20 days of the tra...

The US foreign tax credit is a nonrefundable credit that can reduce your US tax when you pay qualifying foreign income taxes on foreign-source income that is also subject to US tax. It is calculated on Form 1116 for most filers – though small amounts may qualify for a simpler path. The FTC is nonrefundable: it can reduce your US t...

Foreign rental property depreciation requires the use of ADS – the Alternative Depreciation System, which is one of the two systems within MACRS. Here is what that means in practice: Foreign residential rental property used predominantly outside the US must be depreciated under ADS. ADS uses straight-line deprec...

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is a US law designed to prevent tax evasion by Americans holding money and investments overseas. If you're a US taxpayer or specified domestic entity with foreign assets, knowi...

For the 2026 filing season, most J-1 nonresident aliens must file a nonresident tax return on Form 1040-NR if they have taxable US-source income. J-1 visa taxes are not optional if you have taxable US-source income. Even with no taxable income, many J-1 holders stil...

US citizens and green card holders living abroad may need to file up to eight separate IRS and Treasury forms each year to report foreign assets held offshore, including accounts, entities, trusts, and gifts. Foreign asset reporting is separate from paying US tax, and most expats owe little or nothing federally but still have to file these disclo...