Twenty years of international work — and the tax headaches that came with it.
I have spent the better part of two decades working in international operations — in Qatar on energy projects, in China on manufacturing assignments, and now in India, where I am currently based in Hyderabad. In each posting, I had to figure out U.S. taxes on my own: which exclusion to claim, how to handle foreign bank accounts, what the treaty said, and whether the software I was using actually understood my situation.
The resources available ranged from bad to worse. Generic IRS publications that assumed you lived in Ohio. Expat tax firm blogs that existed to sell retainers, not explain things. Reddit threads where the confident answer was often the wrong one. Forums full of people as confused as I was, guessing at each other's problems.
ClearedExpat is the guide I needed and couldn't find. It covers the decisions that actually matter — not just definitions and not just IRS paraphrase.
What I actually know from personal filing
I have personally navigated the FEIE election decision across different tax situations, filed FBARs for accounts in multiple countries, worked through the India-U.S. tax treaty and its limitations, dealt with the complexity of EPF reporting, and restructured my approach when circumstances changed. These are not hypothetical scenarios — they are things I figured out the hard way.
The country guides with the most personal depth are India (where I live now), Qatar (where I spent several years), and China (where I was posted earlier). The other 13 country guides are built from careful research into the specific issues each country creates — treaty provisions, pension complications, local account types, and the mismatches that cause real filing problems.
What this site is and what it isn't
The guides explain concepts, options, and common decision points. They are not a substitute for a qualified tax professional who knows your specific situation, numbers, and history.
The perspective is practitioner, not academic. I have made these decisions myself, and the guides reflect how I think about the real tradeoffs — not just the IRS definition.
There are no retainer packages to sell. The site links to Greenback Tax Services for people who need professional help — that is an affiliate relationship, disclosed here — but the content is not written to funnel people toward any service.
FEIE exclusion limits, filing thresholds, and treaty provisions change. The guides are maintained to reflect current law — not left to go stale as content marketing.
The disclaimer — read this once
Everything on this site is educational content written from direct personal experience. I am not a CPA, enrolled agent, tax attorney, or licensed financial advisor. Nothing on this site constitutes legal or tax advice, and nothing here establishes any professional relationship between us.
Tax situations for U.S. expats are complex and highly fact-specific. The right answer for one person's situation may be completely wrong for another's — even if the surface details look similar. For your own returns, always verify important decisions with a qualified tax professional who knows your complete financial picture.
That said: understanding the concepts, options, and common mistakes before you talk to a professional makes those conversations far more productive. That is what this site is for.