US Expat Tax Services: A 2025 Analysis of Specialized Compliance Solutions

Here's something most Americans don't realize: The US is one of only two countries that taxes citizens no matter where they live.

Living in Barcelona? Tokyo? Sydney?

Doesn't matter. Uncle Sam still wants his cut.

About 9 million Americans live overseas right now. And here's the kicker—they all need to file US taxes every single year. Even if they haven't stepped foot in the States for a decade.

The expat tax market has grown to $6.93 billion in 2025. It's expected to keep growing at 5.6% annually through 2035. That's because international tax rules keep getting more complex.

Taxes for Expats (TFX) has been doing this work for over 25 years. They focus only on Americans abroad. Let's look at what they offer and whether their pricing actually makes sense.

The growing expat tax services market

The IRS has gotten way more aggressive over the past decade.

Two big reasons:

• FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Reporting)
• FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act)

These programs force foreign banks to share your account info directly with the IRS. Miss a filing? You could face serious penalties.

The US tax prep industry hit $14.5 billion in 2025. The expat slice keeps growing.

Why? Remote work is booming. More Americans are living abroad than ever before.

Regular accountants often don't get expat taxes. They might know domestic rules cold, but throw in foreign tax credits or totalization agreements? That's a whole different game.

Specialized firms exist because general CPAs often mess these up.

What Taxes for Expats offers

Service model and pricing

TFX uses flat fees instead of hourly rates. That's nice because you know what you'll pay upfront.

Service	Price	What's included
Federal tax return	$450	Form 1040, Form 1116 (Foreign Tax Credit), Form 2555 (FEIE), standard schedules, up to 10 interest/dividend transactions
Expanded Income Bundle	$75	Self-employment forms (Schedule C, Schedule SE), depreciation, home office deduction
State tax return	$160	Preparation and filing of one state return
FBAR & FATCA filing	$185	Filing for up to 5 bank accounts
Form 5471	$625	For foreign business ownership
Form 1120-S	$800	S-corporation tax preparation
Streamlined filing	$1,450	Catch-up service: 3 years of returns + 6 years of FBARs

The base package at $450 is good for salaried workers or retirees with simple income. But if you're self-employed or have business interests, those add-ons stack up quickly.

The process

Everything happens online. No paper shuffling.

Here's how it works:

1. Get a free quote by uploading last year's return
2. Fill out a tax questionnaire through their portal
3. Upload documents (everything's organized in tabs)
4. Schedule phone calls with your assigned tax pro
5. They prepare and file your return

People like the platform. It's clean, organized, and way better than mailing documents back and forth.

You get a dedicated tax professional who specializes in expat taxes. How much they interact with you depends on how complicated your return is.

Performance and customer reception

TFX scores 4.9 out of 5 on both Trustpilot and Google Reviews (as of October 2025).

Over 2,200 people have reviewed them.

What customers love:

• Fast responses
• Easy-to-use website
• Quick turnaround times

Some clients have used them for 8 to 15 years. That's impressive loyalty.

But here's the thing...

High ratings might just mean good customer service. Most people can't judge whether their tax pro actually maximized their deductions. They just know the person was nice and got things done on time.

One reviewer pointed out: Being responsive doesn't equal getting you the biggest refund.

Comparing costs in the expat tax market

Let's talk money.

Provider	Federal return	State return	Form 1120-S
Traditional CPAs	$300-$1,000+	$150-$300	$1,000+
Taxes for Expats	$450	$160	$800
Greenback Expat Tax	$530	$175	$650

So TFX looks cheaper, right?

Not always.

Greenback includes more business forms in their base package. With TFX, you need to buy the $75 add-on for self-employment forms.

The "cheapest" option depends on your specific situation. If you're a W-2 employee, TFX wins. If you run a business, maybe not.

Limitations and considerations

TFX isn't perfect. Here's what to watch out for:

• Higher business fees: Their corporate forms cost more than competitors.
• Add-ons add up fast: The base package leaves out forms that many self-employed people need.
• Limited Schedule K-1s: You only get one in the Expanded Income Bundle. Have multiple partnerships? You'll pay more.
• Digital-only: Great if you love online tools. Not so great if you want face-to-face meetings or have spotty internet.

The bigger picture: Expat tax compliance in 2025

The IRS is getting really serious about enforcement.

Thanks to an $80 billion funding boost, they're using AI to catch tax dodgers. They're especially watching:

• High earners (above $400,000)
• Cryptocurrency transactions

Foreign banks now automatically report your accounts to the IRS. They can cross-check everything. Discrepancies? They'll find them.

The "Big Beautiful Bill" might add even more rules for expats soon.

Used to be you could maybe skip filing and hope nobody noticed.

Not anymore. The penalties are brutal now.

That's why specialized services went from "nice to have" to "you really need this."

Conclusion

So what's the verdict on Taxes for Expats?

The good:

• Strong 4.9/5 rating from thousands of customers
• 25 years in business (they know what they're doing)
• Cheaper than most CPAs for basic returns
• Easy-to-use platform

The not-so-good:

• Business fees run high
• Add-ons can make it expensive
• Better options exist for complex business owners

Here's the real lesson: Don't just pick the cheapest service. Pick the one that matches your tax situation.

Got a simple W-2 job abroad? TFX's flat fee looks pretty good.

As the IRS keeps tightening enforcement, getting your taxes right matters more than saving $100 on prep fees. Mess it up, and the penalties will cost you way more.