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US Tax Accountant for Americans in Mexico
Short answer: If you live in Mexico and need a US tax accountant, we prepare your US return and foreign reporting, and an Enrolled Agent signs. We also bring late years current. We cover the US side only and do not prepare Mexican returns.
Key takeaways
Citizens and green-card holders file a US return from Mexico on worldwide income.
We prepare the US side: Form 1040, Form 2555 or Form 1116, FBAR and Form 8938.
Many Americans in Mexico are behind. The streamlined procedures may fit a non-willful case.
Mexico is not on the SSA's list of totalization agreements in force.
Everything is remote, from Mexico City to the coast.
Who this is for
Americans living in Mexico, retired, working remotely or running a business.
Dual citizens with a US and a Mexican passport.
Green-card holders living in Mexico. A green-card holder is a US resident alien and is taxed on worldwide income like a citizen.
Mexicans who own a US LLC or need a US tax ID, such as an EIN or an ITIN, for US income or a US business.
Clients in Mexico usually ask about Mexican bank accounts, retirement funds, property, and how a tax treaty applies. We state no rules on those topics and review them case by case, from the US side only. We work in Spanish as well as English, so the review can be in either.
If you are behind on US returns
Many Americans in Mexico moved years ago and never heard about the US filing duty. You are far from alone, and the IRS has a path for this.
The streamlined procedures are only for non-willful failures: negligence, inadvertence, mistake or good-faith misunderstanding. Anyone under a civil exam or criminal investigation is ineligible, and you need a valid taxpayer ID.
For someone who passes the non-residency test, the Foreign Offshore version asks for the most recent three years of returns with the required information returns, FBARs for the most recent six years, full payment of tax and interest, and a signed Form 14653.
The test means no US abode and at least 330 full days outside the US in one of those three years. If you spend long stretches in the US you may fail it, and a different version with its own offshore penalty applies. The IRS states Foreign Offshore filers face no failure-to-file, failure-to-pay or FBAR penalties unless an exam finds fraud or a willful FBAR violation. There is no closing agreement, so returns can still be examined. The package goes by mail, and the late FBARs are e-filed.
If you worry your conduct was willful, talk to us before filing. Our streamlined guide and Mexico City catch-up guide cover the steps.
The US filings you may need
Form 1040. The rules are generally the same abroad as in the US. For tax year 2025, a single filer under 65 generally must file at $15,750 of gross income, counting income you could exclude.
Form 2555 or Form 1116. The foreign earned income exclusion is capped at $130,000 for tax year 2025 and $132,900 for tax year 2026, and covers earned income only, not pension or social security payments. You qualify with a foreign tax home plus either the bona fide residence test or the 330-day physical presence test. The foreign tax credit is the alternative, and tax on excluded income cannot be credited. We run both.
FBAR. Due if foreign accounts together exceeded $10,000 at any time in the year, filed electronically with FinCEN.
Form 8938. Attached to your return. Living abroad, a single filer's thresholds are more than $200,000 on the last day of the year or more than $300,000 at any time. Jointly, it is $400,000 or $600,000.
Deadlines. April 15, then June 15 if you live outside the US with your main place of business there, with a statement attached. Form 4868 extends filing to October 15, but interest runs from April 15. The FBAR extends automatically to October 15.
Mexicans with a US LLC or a need for a US tax ID
A US LLC wholly owned by a foreign person has no income tax return duty, but with reportable transactions it files a pro forma Form 1120 with Form 5472. Owner contributions and draws count, and the filing is faxed or mailed. Read our Form 5472 guide. An ITIN is for people who need a US tax number but cannot get a Social Security number. The IRS says to allow about 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks when filing from overseas.
Social Security and Mexico
Mexico is not on the SSA's list of totalization agreements in force. We go over what that means for the US side at the review.
What we do and what we do not do
We do: prepare your US return, FBAR and Form 8938, bring late years current, and prepare US filings for a foreign-owned LLC. An Enrolled Agent signs and can represent you before the IRS.
We do not: prepare Mexican returns, advise on Mexican law or deal with Mexican authorities.
Mexico City, Guadalajara, Playa del Carmen or anywhere
You send documents electronically and we talk by phone, wherever you are in Mexico. Returns with a foreign address can be e-filed. We serve Americans in all 50 states and abroad, and Los Angeles is only our base.
How to choose a US tax accountant in Mexico
Check the license. Verify an Enrolled Agent at https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf.
Ask what is outside the scope, and who signs.
Get a flat fee in writing first, and walk away from outcome promises.
Talk to us
Call or text (323) 900-0305, or book your free 20-minute review. You see a flat fee in writing before any work starts.
General information, not tax advice for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to file a US return if I live in Mexico?
Usually yes, when worldwide gross income is above the filing threshold. The exclusion or credit may reduce your US tax.
Do you prepare Mexican tax returns?
No. We prepare the US side only. You need a Mexican preparer for local returns.
I have not filed in years. Where do I start?
Book the free review before filing anything. We check which years are missing and whether the streamlined procedures fit.
Does the US have a Social Security agreement with Mexico?
No. Mexico is not on the SSA's list of agreements in force.
Can I get a US tax ID if I own a US LLC from Mexico?
Possibly. We review your facts at the free review.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Sabih Shafi, EA
Related Reading
Talk to an Enrolled Agent
This article is general information, not individual tax advice. If you want to talk through your own IRS or state balance, book a free 20-minute review or call or text us directly.
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