US democracy in danger – active citizenship needed

“American democracy is … under assault from the ground up,” is the grim conclusion of a report from The Brookings Institution and the States United Democracy Center. Although the USA triumphed in holding a secure and legitimate national election in 2020 with the highest voter turnout in a century – in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic – some Americans have...

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)

Per the Bank Secrecy Act, every year you must report certain foreign financial accounts, such as bank accounts, brokerage accounts and mutual funds, to the Treasury Department by filing a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) on Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Form 114.

Who must file?

Any US person (citizens, resident aliens, trusts, estates and domestic entities) with an...

US Child Tax Credit 2021

 
You can claim the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child who has a Social Security number.
 
To be a qualifying child for the 2021 tax year, your dependent...

US voting – now is the time to act

It’s more than time for FAWCO and its clubs and members to strongly encourage overseas Americans to vote in the 2022 US elections. While Election Day is November 8 in the US, it comes a month earlier for overseas voters – who must receive and return absentee ballots by the deadlines set by their states. Overseas voters must start the...

2021 IRS Personal Income Tax - Key Information

April 18, 2022

• file individual tax return (Form 1040) - for expats, this deadline is automatically extended until June 15, 2021
• file Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) - or simply wait until October 17 - the automatic extension deadline

Note: Expat children with foreign financial accounts are also required to file FBARs

• to avoid late payment penalties, make a payment...

Transmission of US Citizenship for Birth Abroad

One topic that consistently comes up in the expat community is acquiring US citizenship for children born abroad to US citizen parents who have not lived in US territory sufficient time for their children to have acquired US citizenship at birth, if the birth took place outside the US. 

The legal requirement for a child born outside the US to...