Americans must fly home every year to do tax return or can it done by post/consulate?

[nglodnig]

The (Thai/US) wife of an American friend of mine who has sadly passed away says she needs to go back to the US every year for her tax return. Is this correct? Surely there is a more convenient way?

[ubonjoe]

It can be done by mail or online.

The embassy can only supply tax forms and nothing more than that.

[Jingthing]

Yes mail or online.

However there could be issues.

At least it used to be not all the online companies accepted foreign addresses. 

I use taxact.com which does so not sure about current policies for others.

Also in the case of taxact if you need do a fee return you need to pay by credit card. 

You also need access to your last year's return or user generated IRS password to sign online. 

They will show messages acting like you need a US state ID but actually you can file without it. 

Perhaps that person thinks that you need to file with a US address. You do not. 

 

Also not everyone needs to file at all! Low income people often don't. Check IRS online for details. They don't even want people to file that aren't required to. 

 

[4675636b596f75]

Wait a minute, do you mean to tell me I didn't have to fly to the USA to renew my driver's license!  I could have done it through the mail or Fedex?  Say it isn't so!

[Puchaiyank]

I have used TurboTax for years...including filing US income taxes from Thailand.  

 

The most difficult part for me is gathering all the records.  It helps if there is someone on the states that can copy and forward docs you may can not get yourself...????

[Sheryl]

I use the IRS's own efile system. Free and works fine and no problem to have a foreign address.

 

May be hard for her to do herself but for a US citizen familiar with taxes, easy. You could do it for her in minutes most likely.

[La Migra]

3 hours ago, nglodnig said:

...says she needs to go back to the US every year for her tax return. Is this correct?

As all have said, no, she can file from anywhere, lots of options.

Sometimes people fly back to the US to visit and use the time to handle legal matters/taxes etc. So historically this might have been what they did, and so she just thinks she has to file in the US.  Additionally, if she is a US permanent resident (not citizen), she needs time-in-country to maintain status.  They may have been using a tax time visit to fulfill that requirement, and she is just conflating the two.

Edited October 29, 2019 by La Migra

[Pib]

She can file online or by mail from anywhere on Earth.

[inThailand]

Yes, even the IRS has moved into 21 st century. Don't forget to efile your FBAR report as well.

[LawrenceN]

12 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I use the IRS's own efile system. Free and works fine and no problem to have a foreign address.

 

May be hard for her to do herself but for a US citizen familiar with taxes, easy. You could do it for her in minutes most likely.

freefilefillableforms.com

[gk10002000]

14 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

Wait a minute, do you mean to tell me I didn't have to fly to the USA to renew my driver's license!  I could have done it through the mail or Fedex?  Say it isn't so!

It depends on the state and the type of renewal.  My Florida license was originally renewed once online after ten years.  But I think after another 5 years and because of the Real ID compliant License thing, I had to fly from California where I was working on a contract back to Florida.  You will have to get it renewed in person if you don't already have the TSA mandated Real ID.  Do you have the little gold star on your license?  No it is not a jewish star of David gold star like the Nazis branded on Jews.  Other than that, renewals vary from state to state. Some mandate an update if you are some aged senior just to check on your looks I guess

[gk10002000]

13 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I use the IRS's own efile system. Free and works fine and no problem to have a foreign address.

 

May be hard for her to do herself but for a US citizen familiar with taxes, easy. You could do it for her in minutes most likely.

Yeah but that free IRS service has income limits and I think only handles basic returns without too many schedules.   I am still old fashioned and mail in the PDF fillable forms every year.  My return is fairly simple.  I don't itemize.  I have schedule D for my capital gains, and I have dividend and interest income to report and have to do the separate tax calculation worksheet, but it is not hard.  Never had a problem since 1982.  And with direct deposit, the last few years I got my money deposited in less than 4 weeks from the time I mailed in the return, so I am content with that turn around time.  never had a return lost.  The IRS online system tracks the status of the return reasonably well and I can see when they received it and when they are processing it.

[gk10002000]

15 hours ago, nglodnig said:

The (Thai/US) wife of an American friend of mine who has sadly passed away says she needs to go back to the US every year for her tax return. Is this correct? Surely there is a more convenient way?

She may mean she has to go back and collect some records and papers and mailings, although most things are available online.  W-2s, 1099s for dividends, interest, gambling winnings, Rental receipts, property records, taxes paid records form state offices, etc.  Maybe she/he used an accountant and she needs to round up stuff and deliver to him.  An authorized preparer could sign her return if they have power of attorney.

[CMBob]

14 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

I have used TurboTax for years...including filing US income taxes from Thailand.  

 

The most difficult part for me is gathering all the records.  It helps if there is someone on the states that can copy and forward docs you may can not get yourself...????

Yes, the only hassle is if you retain a US address (your own or a friend's) for mailings and then your 1099's or whatever are mailed there....as you need that stuff to file the return, use Turbotax, or whatever.  If somebody who gets mail for you in the US can scan or photograph the stuff and email it to you, that usually works out well.  But, for almost everything (US bank records, social security receipts, etc.), you can go online and get the information you need for the 1040 form. 

[Cory1848]

Definitely Turbotax -- easy to use and file online (state taxes too), and it remembers all your information from year to year. You can download much financial information from investment firms/brokerages directly into the program, but having a US address where somebody stateside can collect mail and forward it to you is tremendously useful. But if you know exactly what documents you'll need beforehand, you can plan ahead for it. Failing that, I seem to recall that there were at least a few accountants in Bangkok who were licensed to do US tax filings -- H&R Block may even have a representative or office. I would be surprised if the US embassy didn't have information about such accountants they deemed reliable.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

Yeah but that free IRS service has income limits and I think only handles basic returns without too many schedules.   I am still old fashioned and mail in the PDF fillable forms every year.  My return is fairly simple.  I don't itemize.  I have schedule D for my capital gains, and I have dividend and interest income to report and have to do the separate tax calculation worksheet, but it is not hard.  Never had a problem since 1982.  And with direct deposit, the last few years I got my money deposited in less than 4 weeks from the time I mailed in the return, so I am content with that turn around time.  never had a return lost.  The IRS online system tracks the status of the return reasonably well and I can see when they received it and when they are processing it.

I don't know re income limit but it will support a ton of schedules. All, I think.

 

I usually have 7 or 8 schefules to attach.

 

Quite likely that her late husband did the taxes and used an accountant in US and that is the only way she knows.

[elgenon]

14 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I use the IRS's own efile system. Free and works fine and no problem to have a foreign address.

 

May be hard for her to do herself but for a US citizen familiar with taxes, easy. You could do it for her in minutes most likely.

Sorry for the silly question, but what is the website where you get the forms?

[Sheryl]

www.freefillableforms.com

[DFPhuket]

For the past 4 years I have used an online firm with CPAs that 100% specializes in taxes for expats. While the cost is about US$300, the amount of tax they calculated that I owed was about $500 less than what TurboTax calculated for me. My taxes are somewhat complicated with income from two countries and considerable investments. 

 

Everything was done efficiently online. I don't think I'm supposed to post a link here, but if you're interested send me a private message and I'll send you the company's information. 

[Sheryl]

A derogatory post has been removed.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

www.freefillableforms.com

 

I should add that (once you get used to how it operates and its quirks) this site is easy to use fora computer literate  US citizens, it would not be for a non-citizen with no prior experience with US tax forms, and would be thoroughly daunting for a Thai.

 

I have always done my own taxes, even in years where I income averaged or bought or sold property, on the theory that no one has as much invested in the outcome as I do and also knowing that in case of an audit or issue the problem reverts to me anyhow, and I therefore like to know exactly what was done and why.

 

But  for this lady, if she has no American friends able to do it for her (which would likely take not much time), the services of an accountant might be a better choice.  That do can be done long distance.

[soisanuk]

2 hours ago, CMBob said:

Yes, the only hassle is if you retain a US address (your own or a friend's) for mailings and then your 1099's or whatever are mailed there....as you need that stuff to file the return, use Turbotax, or whatever.  If somebody who gets mail for you in the US can scan or photograph the stuff and email it to you, that usually works out well.  But, for almost everything (US bank records, social security receipts, etc.), you can go online and get the information you need for the 1040 form. 

I have been using TurboTax for several years now - I do maintain a USA address, but can also get the information I need online. My returns now are not very complicated, but TurboTax can handle most items - I had no problem using it when I sold my house in USA. As mentioned, once you file your first return, they load in all essential information from your previous return when you log in to do the current year. 

[Thomas J]

You can go to IRS.gov and get hard copy forms to file and mail.  Far easier is they have an online service to fill out online and submit.  Also services such as HR Block, and Quickbook offer online filing.  They are easy you just follow the prompts and it asks you every pertinent question does the math and then file.  You must submit your last years AGI  Adjusted Gross Income to verify before the IRS will accept the online return. 

[Max69xl]

18 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

Wait a minute, do you mean to tell me I didn't have to fly to the USA to renew my driver's license!  I could have done it through the mail or Fedex?  Say it isn't so!

The topic is tax returns, not drivers licenses.

[donmuang37]

I have done on-line using the TurboTax software for years. Easy and never had any problems. If you have an extremely complex financial situation (multiple rental properties, tax advantaged investments, etc.), then perhaps you would need a US based CPA, but even then there would be no need to go back.

[Wake Up]

3 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Yeah but that free IRS service has income limits and I think only handles basic returns without too many schedules.   I am still old fashioned and mail in the PDF fillable forms every year.  My return is fairly simple.  I don't itemize.  I have schedule D for my capital gains, and I have dividend and interest income to report and have to do the separate tax calculation worksheet, but it is not hard.  Never had a problem since 1982.  And with direct deposit, the last few years I got my money deposited in less than 4 weeks from the time I mailed in the return, so I am content with that turn around time.  never had a return lost.  The IRS online system tracks the status of the return reasonably well and I can see when they received it and when they are processing it.

The IRS efile system does not have any income limits. The only income limits that apply are whether the efile tax return is free or you pay a nominal small charge. It is by far IMO the best way to file your tax return whether you itemize or not and whether you owe money or get a direct deposit refund. 

[nglodnig]

Thanks chaps (woops sorry "guys" "buddies") for lots of useful info here which I will pass on. Would there be an accountant in Chiang Mai who could do all this for her?

[gk10002000]

34 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

The IRS efile system does not have any income limits. The only income limits that apply are whether the efile tax return is free or you pay a nominal small charge. It is by far IMO the best way to file your tax return whether you itemize or not and whether you owe money or get a direct deposit refund. 

it certainly did and still does display having income limits.  I never say any option to pay a nominal small charge.  I routinely would look at it and click through the links.  Below is a copy past from https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

"

• Use IRS Free File if your adjusted gross income is $66,000 or less.

Edited October 30, 2019 by gk10002000

[Rockhopper]

I have many investments and properties in America and I have lived in Chiang Mai for 7 years. I have always used H&R Block and get a refund every year. Just send them the information from investments and properties and let them run with it. Fly back to America every year? Not at all.

[Morty T]

You could fly back each year, although I would imagine that would get quite expensive. If you are trying to log in to a US tax account (we use HR block) you're probably getting blocked. Just switch to a VPN, and change your location to the US. Been working for us these past few years.