Amended expat tax returns can be filed for several reasons. A thorough review of an expatriate tax return is required to determine whether an amended return has to be filed.
Reasons to file amended expat tax returns
- Incomplete income information. Quite a few American expats face this issue due to the fact that they moved from one place to another. As a result of moving they didn’t keep a track of all income and expenses. Unfortunately, some expatriate tax documents were lost.
- Errors on overseas taxes. Local CPAs in the USA can do a fine job preparing U.S. tax return. However, quite often these local CPAs are not familiar with nuances of expatriate tax preparation. As a result of it, they overlook overseas tax deductions.
- Additional dependents. Some expatriates didn’t know that they were eligible to claim additional dependents.
- Filing status change. Some taxpayers would like to change a filing status after realizing that they will get a higher tax refund on expatriate tax return.
If you have a simple math error on your overseas tax return, there is no need to file an amended return. The IRS will fix this issue by recalculating all tax information.
American expats must file an amended overseas tax return to claim an additional tax refund within three years from the date an original return was filed or two years from the date the taxes were paid.
Many American expatriates are afraid to file amended expat tax returns. Some of them believe that filing an amended return increases the chances of the IRS audit. Although, there is a possibility, it is better to file a correct return before the IRS sends you a letter.
If you need help with filing an amended return or have questions about your filed expatriate tax return, please use the company that provides international tax services. We have helped American expatriates from over 75 countries.