In this article, I’ll look at the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion 2020. The FEIE is the most powerful tool in the expat’s kit and is the focus of international tax planning for individuals and small business owners living abroad. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion 2020 is the only major tax planning option left after Trump’s
Here’s how to live tax-free as an American. If you’re willing to live, work, and invest abroad, it’s possible to live tax-free as an American – legally and without watching over your shoulder for the tax man. First, note that this article is for US persons willing to live and work outside of the United
The days of retained earnings in offshore corporations are officially over. No longer can those of us living and working abroad hold profits in excess of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion inside of our corporations tax-deferred. Here’s what you need to know about US expats and retained earnings in foreign corporations for 2018. Please note
You’ll find a lot of partisan bickering on the web about President Trump’s tax plan. Here’s my effort to give you the facts and just the facts (a la Joe Friday of Dragnet) on how President Trump’s tax plan affects expats and Americans living abroad. Keep in mind that this article is focused on US
There are big changes coming from the Trump administration that will affect your offshore corporation. Republicans have made it clear that they must pass tax reform or they’ll be crushed in the next election cycle. Here’s how Trump’s tax plan is likely to affect offshore corporations and and international taxation. There are three groups of
This article is to clear up issues concerning employment and payroll under the tax incentive programs in Puerto Rico. These requirements for the tax incentive programs are to be used in determining how much salary you must take (taxed at ordinary rates) vs. how much corporate profits the entity can make (taxed at 4%). Keep
Puerto Rico has opened up its Act 20 program by eliminating the 5 employee requirement. Any US citizen can now move to Puerto Rico, set up a business under Act 20, and pay only 4% in corporate tax. By eliminating the 5 employee requirement for Act 20 businesses, Puerto Rico has opened the floodgates. Note
On July 11, 2017, major changes to Puerto Rico’s Act 20 and 22 were approved. These changes make it much easier to qualify for Puerto Rico’s Act 20 tax holidays. Here’s everything you need to know about the changes to Puerto Rico’s Act 20 and Act 22. As of July 2017, Puerto Rico has a
Here’s how to live and work as an affiliate marketer and pay zero in US taxes. If you market other people’s products online, you can easily structure your business to be tax free and fully compliant with US laws. If you’re living and working outside of the United States, this post on how to live
The internet is filled with Idiots selling scam programs that will teach you how to pay zero income tax. They’re all full of BS and infuriate those of us who try to write about legal ways to protect your assets and minimize your income taxes. In this article I’ll talk about the only legal ways
When a foreign company is owned by a US person or persons, it’s a Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) for US tax purposes. Even if a CFC is operated abroad, some types of income will be taxable in the US as earned. The most common category of taxable income in a CFC is Foreign Base Company
The US tax costs for Payday lenders in the United States is harsh. The interest component of your income is taxed where the borrower is located. This means you get to file returns is every state and deal with a web of complex tax laws. Then, the portion of your income which is not considered
Here’s how to report a foreign salary or international business income. If you earn money from working as an employee or independent contractor, you need to report it on your US tax return. Here’s how to report income paid by a foreign company. I’ll briefly comment on income earned from abroad while living in the
If you’re living abroad and paid by a US company, you’ll pay self employment tax on your earnings. If you’re living offshore and operating a business without an offshore company or LLC, you’ll pay self employment tax on your profits. Here’s how self employment tax works when you’re offshore and how to avoid it. All
Did you form an offshore LLC last year? Are you using an offshore LLC to hold foreign investments or to protect an international bank account? Here are your US filing requirements for that offshore LLC. As the owner of an offshore LLC, you’ll need to file an entity election form, an annual tax return, a
With all the talk about keeping jobs at home and taxing foreign corporations, I wanted to start the year with a post on why Trump is great for the offshore industry… at least, for those operating small businesses, investing abroad, and/or moving assets offshore for asset protection. This article will focus on why a Trump
In this article, I’ll review the rules around PFIC investments and the Passive Foreign Investment Company statutes. Here’s everything you need to know about passive income in an offshore corporation. First let me define a few terms around PFIC. Passive Income: Income from interest, dividends, annuities, capital gains, and most rents and royalties. Passive
When you’re planning a move abroad, you need to consider the tax laws of your country of citizenship and your country of residence. The key to a solid expat move is to determine which countries tax worldwide income and avoid them whenever possible. There are four basic tax groupings of countries. I won’t consider the
During the election,Trump claimed he’s paid “hundreds of millions of dollars” in taxes over the years. Yet, he probably didn’t pay any personal income taxes since 1995 because of a $916 million loss carryforward. How can both of these statements be true? Because most Americans pay more in payroll taxes than income tax! In this
Puerto Rico has the best tax deals available to Americans… period. No offshore jurisdiction can compete with the US territory of Puerto Rico when it comes to cutting your taxes. This post will focus on Puerto Rico’s research and development and intangible property tax breaks. Act 73 is for those who develop licensed or patented