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US Tax Advisor for Americans in the UK
Short answer: If you live in the UK and need a US tax advisor, we prepare your US return and the foreign reporting attached to it, and an Enrolled Agent signs. We cover the US side only. We do not prepare UK returns.
Key takeaways
Citizens and green-card holders file a US return wherever they live, and worldwide income is what counts.
Our work is the US side: Form 1040, the exclusion or credit, FBAR and Form 8938.
Extensions for people abroad give time to file, never time to pay.
Being behind is common, and the streamlined procedures may fit non-willful cases.
London, Manchester, Edinburgh or anywhere else works the same, because everything is remote.
Two countries, one US return
Your US return follows US rules, whatever your UK return says.
Clients in the UK most often ask about ISAs, UK pensions, how HMRC and the IRS treat the same income, and the tax treaty. We state no rules on those topics here. We review each case by case at the free review, from the US side only.
One thing the SSA list confirms: the United Kingdom has a Social Security totalization agreement with the US in force. Such agreements eliminate dual social security coverage and taxation by assigning a worker's coverage to one country's system. Which system applies depends on how you work, and we discuss it at the review.
What we do and what we leave to your UK adviser
We do:
Prepare your US Form 1040 with Form 2555 or Form 1116.
Prepare your FBAR and Form 8938 reporting.
Bring late US years current, including the streamlined procedures when they fit.
Have an Enrolled Agent review and sign, and represent you if the IRS writes.
We do not: prepare UK returns, advise on UK tax law or deal with UK tax authorities. If a US choice depends on a UK figure, we use the number your UK preparer gives us.
Anywhere in the UK
London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff or a small town. You send documents electronically, we speak by phone, and returns with a foreign address can be e-filed. We work with Americans in all 50 states and abroad, in English or Spanish. Los Angeles is only our base.
Deadlines and extensions
The usual due date is April 15. If you live outside the US and your main place of business is outside it, you get an automatic extension to June 15 by attaching a statement to your return.
Form 4868 filed by June 15 extends filing to October 15. Tick the "out of the country" box.
A letter to the IRS by October 15 can ask for two more months, to December 15.
Form 2350 is for people who expect to pass the residence or presence test only after the return is due. If approved, the December 15 letter is unavailable.
None of these stops interest, which runs from April 15 on unpaid tax. The FBAR extends automatically to October 15. Our Form 2350 vs. Form 4868 guide explains which to use.
The forms behind the return
Exclusion or credit. The foreign earned income exclusion has a maximum of $130,000 for tax year 2025 and $132,900 for tax year 2026. If both spouses qualify, the IRS says a couple can exclude as much as $260,000 together for 2025. Pension and annuity payments, including social security benefits, do not count as foreign earned income. Unused foreign tax credits carry back 1 year and forward 10 years, and you cannot claim a credit for tax on income you exclude. We test the numbers both ways.
Filing threshold. For tax year 2025, a joint return with both spouses under 65 generally must be filed at $31,500 of gross income, and excludable income still counts.
FBAR. Due if your foreign accounts together exceeded $10,000 at any time in the year. It goes to FinCEN, not with your return.
Form 8938. Attached to your return. Married filing jointly and living abroad, the thresholds are more than $400,000 on the last day of the year or more than $600,000 at any time.
Who we help
Employees of UK companies, self-employed people and contractors, retirees, dual citizens who grew up in the UK on a US passport, and green-card holders, who are taxed on worldwide income like citizens.
Behind on US returns?
If no one told you that you had to file from the UK, you are not alone. The streamlined procedures are for non-willful failures. People abroad file the most recent three years of returns and six years of FBARs, and pay the full tax and interest. Anyone under civil exam or criminal investigation is ineligible, so speak to us before sending anything. The streamlined guide has the detail.
Choosing a US tax advisor in the UK
Look for a license you can check. An Enrolled Agent is federally licensed by the IRS, and the directory is at https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf. Look for plain talk about what falls outside their work. Finally, ask for a flat fee in writing before work starts.
Talk to us
Call or text (323) 900-0305, or book your free 20-minute review. You see the flat fee in writing before we begin.
General information, not tax advice for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I file a US return if I live in the UK and pay UK tax?
Usually yes, if your worldwide gross income is above the filing threshold. Paying tax abroad does not end the US duty, but the exclusion or credit may reduce what you owe.
Do you prepare UK tax returns?
No. We prepare the US side only. You need a UK preparer for UK returns.
What about my ISA, UK pension or HMRC matters?
Clients ask about these often. We review them case by case at the free review, and we do not give UK tax advice.
Is the June 15 extension extra time to pay?
No. It gives extra time to file. Interest still runs from April 15 on unpaid tax.
Can you help if I have missed several years?
Book the free review before you file anything. We check which years are missing and whether the streamlined procedures fit.
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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