2,200+ streamlined submissions
Proven experience resolving accidental US citizen tax filing gaps
Streamlined specialists since 2012
Deep expertise in catch-up filings and cross-border tax
Structured accuracy system
Preparation → second-level CPA review → final compliance check
You hold a US passport and pay taxes where you live – but recently learned the US expects an annual return from you too, regardless of where you live or where your income comes from.
US citizenship can pass through a parent even if you were born and raised entirely outside the US. If you recently discovered this applies to you, the IRS amnesty program may apply.
A letter arrived asking you to confirm your US person status, provide a Social Security number, or complete a W-9. Some banks have restricted accounts or threatened closure.
Formally giving up US citizenship requires at least five years of filed US tax returns. If you've never filed, becoming compliant is the required first step before you can proceed.
Your local savings and investment accounts need to be assessed for US reporting obligations. Depending on what you hold – a Stocks and Shares ISA, a pension, foreign ETFs — additional forms may apply.
You were born in the US but left as a child, and have never built any US records. Getting an SSN is the first practical step in the compliance process — and it's something we guide you through.
“I was born in the US but I've lived here my entire life. I had no idea the US expected a tax return.”
“My bank said it would close my account unless I could show I was compliant.”
“I've never filed a US return. I don't know how many years I need to go back, and whether I'll actually owe anything.”
“I've never lived in the US, never had a Social Security number. My bank is waiting for one.”
“Whether I eventually renounce or just get compliant and keep filing – I want it sorted.”
If you've never filed as an accidental American, a CPA specializing in accidental American back taxes will identify the gaps, determine the correct approach, and handle the submission end-to-end. If you don't yet have a US Social Security number, we'll guide you through obtaining one.
Ongoing accidental US citizen tax filing for Americans who are now compliant – your return prepared by a CPA who works in cross-border tax daily, worldwide income reported, available exclusions and credits applied to reduce your US liability.
Bank accounts, pensions, and investment accounts held abroad need to be reported on FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) if the combined balance exceeds $10,000 at any point during the year. Prepared as part of your coordinated catch-up or annual filing.
Guidance on the foreign tax credit, filing elections, and how life changes – RSUs vesting, a business interest abroad, a property purchase, or a move – affect your obligations before they become a problem in your return.
Accidental Americans with foreign assets above set thresholds must report them on Form 8938 under FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) – separate from, and in addition to, FBAR. We assess your exposure and file it alongside your return.
Foreign mutual funds, ETFs, pooled investments – and pensions such as a UK SIPP, Australian superannuation, or Canadian RRSP – may qualify as Passive Foreign Investment Companies (PFICs), triggering Form 8621 reporting beyond a standard return.
If you're planning to renounce your US citizenship, your tax filings generally need to be current first – including any outstanding returns and FBARs. We can help you become compliant and guide you through the full tax requirements of the renunciation process.
A proven system that has guided thousands of accidental Americans through multi-year catch-up filings.
Over a decade of focused experience structuring non-willful submissions accurately.
We prepare and file your returns, FBARs, and required reporting – handling the entire process end-to-end.
Yes. Under US law, anyone born on US soil is a US citizen – regardless of whether they later lived there, held a US passport, or identified as American. If you were born in the US, even to non-US parents who returned home shortly after, you likely have US tax filing obligations. The same applies if you were born outside the US to at least one US citizen parent and the citizenship rules at the time of your birth were met.
That's the most common situation we see. If you're an accidental American who has never filed taxes because you simply didn't know you had to, the IRS Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedure was designed for exactly this – non-willful non-compliance, where you missed filings because you weren't aware of the requirement. Most accidental Americans in this situation qualify, and the program allows you to catch up on three years of federal returns and six years of FBARs without penalties.
Yes, if the combined value of your foreign bank, pension, or investment accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point during the year. FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) is filed separately from your tax return, and penalties for missing it are significant – even when no tax is owed.
Under FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), foreign banks are required to identify US persons and report their accounts to the IRS. If your bank has flagged a US birthplace or asked for a US Social Security number or W-9, it's a compliance obligation on their side – not a signal that you've done something wrong. Responding with your correct tax status, and getting compliant if you aren't already, is how to resolve it.
The US applies the same income tax rules to accidental Americans as to any citizen, but two tools might help to reduce the bill to zero: the Foreign Tax Credit (which offsets taxes you've already paid to your country of residence) and the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (which excludes up to $130,000 of foreign earned income for 2025).
Under the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedure, the filing window is the last three years of federal tax returns and six years of FBARs – regardless of how long you've been non-compliant.
Typically: records of your income for the three filing years, details of any non-US bank, pension, or investment accounts, and your passport or birth certificate for citizenship verification. If you don't have a Social Security number, we'll guide you through the process of obtaining one.
Yes – accidental American filing help is a core part of what we do. We determine the correct path for your situation, prepare your returns and required reporting, and handle the Streamlined submission end-to-end.
Renunciation requires at least five years of filed US tax returns before the consulate appointment, plus a final-year return and IRS Form 8854 after. If you've never filed, the Streamlined Procedure is the first step – it covers three years, after which you can file the remaining years to meet the five-year requirement.
Book a free consultation to review your situation. Our accidental American CPA help starts with a call – we'll confirm the correct filing path and handle everything from there.
