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US Tax Advisor for Americans in France
Short answer: If you live in France and need a US tax advisor, we prepare your US return and the foreign-account reporting that goes with it, and an Enrolled Agent signs. We cover the US side only. We do not prepare French returns.
Key takeaways
Moving to France does not end your US filing duty. Citizens and green-card holders report worldwide income.
We prepare the US side: Form 1040, Form 2555 or Form 1116, FBAR and Form 8938.
France is on the Social Security totalization list.
An extension for people abroad gives time to file, not time to pay.
Paris, Lyon or a village in the countryside, the work is the same because it is all remote.
Who this is for
Americans living in France: employees, freelancers, students, retirees and people married to a French spouse.
Dual citizens who hold both a US and a French passport.
Green-card holders living in France. A green-card holder is a US resident alien, taxed on worldwide income like a citizen.
Clients in France usually ask about French pensions, savings and investment accounts, how a French return and a US return treat the same income, and how a tax treaty applies. We state no rules on those topics here. We review them case by case at the free review, from the US side only.
The US filings that follow you to France
Form 1040. The IRS says citizens and resident aliens abroad follow the same rules as people in the US. For tax year 2025, a married couple filing jointly, both under 65, generally must file at $31,500 of gross income, and income you could exclude still counts toward that test.
Form 2555 or Form 1116. The foreign earned income exclusion (Form 2555) has a maximum of $130,000 for tax year 2025 and $132,900 for tax year 2026. It needs a foreign tax home plus either the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test of 330 full days abroad in 12 consecutive months. The foreign tax credit (Form 1116) is the alternative, with unused credits carried back 1 year and forward 10. We run both and show you the result.
FBAR. If your foreign accounts together went over $10,000 at any point in the year, you file an FBAR with FinCEN. It is filed electronically, apart from your return, and it does not matter whether the account earns taxable income.
Form 8938. Attached to your return and separate from the FBAR. Living abroad, a single filer reports more than $200,000 on the last day of the year or more than $300,000 at any time. For joint filers the figures are $400,000 and $600,000.
France and Social Security
The SSA's list of totalization agreements in force names France. Agreements of this kind are meant to stop a worker being covered, and taxed, by two social security systems at once. Which one applies depends on where and how you work. We talk through the US side at the review.
Deadlines when you live abroad
Your return is due April 15. If you live outside the US and your main place of business is outside it, an automatic extension to June 15 applies once you attach a statement. Form 4868 pushes filing to October 15, and a letter to the IRS by October 15 can ask for two more months, to December 15. Interest still runs from April 15 on unpaid tax. The FBAR extends on its own to October 15.
If you are behind on US returns
Many Americans in France never heard they had to file. The streamlined procedures are for non-willful failures. A person abroad files the most recent three years of returns and six years of FBARs, and pays the tax and interest due. The IRS states these filers are not subject to failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties unless an exam finds fraud or a willful FBAR violation. Anyone under civil exam or criminal investigation is ineligible, so call before you send anything. The streamlined guide covers the steps.
What we do and what we do not do
We do:
Prepare your Form 1040 with Form 2555 or Form 1116.
Prepare your FBAR and Form 8938 reporting.
Bring late US years current, using the streamlined procedures when they fit.
Have an Enrolled Agent review and sign, and represent you if the IRS writes.
We do not prepare French returns, advise on French law or deal with French authorities. When a US decision depends on a French figure, we use the number your French preparer provides.
Paris, Lyon, Marseille or anywhere in France
Where you live in France changes nothing. You send documents electronically, we speak by phone, and returns with a foreign address can be e-filed. We serve Americans in all 50 states and abroad. Los Angeles is only our base.
How to choose a US tax advisor in France
Check the license. An Enrolled Agent is federally licensed by the IRS. Look one up at https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf.
Ask what falls outside the scope, and who signs your return.
Get the fee in writing before work starts. Be wary of anyone promising a result before seeing your documents.
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 begins.
General information, not tax advice for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still file a US return if I pay tax in France?
Usually yes, if your worldwide gross income is above the filing threshold. The exclusion or credit may lower what you owe the IRS.
Do you prepare French tax returns?
No. We prepare the US side only, so you need a separate preparer for your French return.
Does France have a Social Security agreement with the US?
Yes. France is on the SSA's list of agreements in force. We explain how it affects your US side at the review.
Is the June 15 extension extra time to pay?
No. It is extra time to file. Interest runs from April 15.
What about my French pension or savings accounts?
We review them case by case at the free review. We do not advise on French law.
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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