I won’t call this lady out by name, but I have to share her story.
Label this a public service announcement for all the American expats out there.
Just yesterday, I get an e-mail from a concerned mom. (yeah, I get it. I’ll be this parent someday). She was concerned for her daughter, an expat.
Apparently, back in 2015, this lady’s baby girl ran off to New Zealand for love and adventure. And some working on the side (irrelevant).
And seeing how New Zealand is about as far away a land as you can hide from the US, this adventurous lass decides to stop filing her 1040. Bye-bye IRS.
SCREEEECH …full stop. Wait, what?!?
Yup, she’s made a big mistake. I’m sure she’s sweet and all, but even when you hold it up against running away to New Zealand for kiwi love, I call not filing taxes a huge mistake.
And here’s my lip-biting response:
So, for the “public service announcement” portion of my broadcast… you need to file your taxes. Every year.
Really folks, it’s not tough. Sure, filing taxes is no fun. Not for anyone. And for expats, it’s even less so.
Remember – it’s not about the money you owe or don’t owe.
It’s about the paperwork. You Must File (read: not pay, just file). Every. Year.
Just file. Expats have until June 30th to get at least some paperwork in there.
Disclaimer: I’m not a tax professional. I don’t give professional tax or financial advice. All I can pass on is the fear that your freedom as a US citizen is more dependent on your annual filing than you might believe.
