U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans

The Traveling Expat's Guide to Living, Working, and Staying Tax Compliant Abroad

By: Olivier Wagner

Narrated by: Gregory V. Diehl

Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Are you a citizen of the United States who lives abroad? Maybe you're thinking about moving from the United States, and aren't sure how this affects your tax filing requirements. Or perhaps you have been tax non-compliant for many years, and don't know how to get caught up with the US government without incurring huge fees. You could be a self-employed "digital nomad" who works from many different countries, moving wherever you want at your leisure. No matter what your situation, you probably still owe taxes to the US. If you don't file correctly, you could be missing out on important opportunities to legally reduce your tax burden.

The United States of America is one of only two countries in the world that imposes taxes based on citizenship, not on where you live or where your money comes from. How can you ensure that Uncle Sam gets his due without suffering enormous penalties on the road to becoming tax compliant? By combining the right strategies for citizenship, residency, banking, incorporation, and physical presence in other countries, it is possible for most people who work abroad to legally keep their taxes at $0.

In this book, certified public account, US immigrant (and eventual emigrant), and perpetual traveler Olivier Wagner teaches listeners not just the philosophy of being a worldly American, but how to use 100% legal strategies to make your life easier and less burdened by taxation. Wagner even takes you step by step through the specific forms and schedules you will use to file your taxes, no matter where you are.

©2017 Olivier Wagner (P)2017 Identity Publications

Critic reviews

"Olivier makes the difficult business of filing US taxes simple to understand." (Dan Andrews, Tropical MBA)

"Olivier Wagner's book is an exceptional U.S. tax guide for Americans abroad, which contains just enough information so that you CAN 'understand your tax requirements', but not so much information that you 'CAN'T understand your tax requirements'." (John Richardson, CitizenshipSolutions.ca)

"U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans not only lays out in detail all the relevant taxation regulations and strategies I had barely heard of before, but also presents practical choices I had not even considered. I no longer feel intimidated by the challenge of staying on good terms with the IRS. Spare yourself the confusion of following the advice of unqualified amateurs and go with a book written by a professional who has lived it." (Brent Zahradnik, AMZ Pathfinder)

U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans

U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans: The Traveling Expat’s Guide to Living, Working, and Staying Tax Compliant Abroad by Olivier Wagner is an informative book that gives tax advice (and life advice) for individuals living abroad. Though taxes can sometimes seem dry, it is entertaining read. Wagner discusses specific tax concerns in detail; one of my favorite sections was when he talked about tax credits. I also like how the book delves into issues related to living abroad that go beyond taxes, such as family dynamics abroad, the restrictions of internet access in certain countries, and mail forwarding.

Wagner's book is a good guide for those planning on living abroad, but it also serves as an interesting and educational book in general. It not only made me think about some of the issues that ex-pats and dual citizens face when living away from America, but it gave me a glimpse into the lives of world travelers.

*I received this book for review*

An important and neglected subject covered well

While there are many books that cover the basics of things like the foreign earned income exclusion or the foreign tax credit, none of them clearly explain why these things exist, how they work, different ways you can arrange your life to tax advantage of them, and how to file correctly with the various forms that make up the US tax system. It is written in a way that is casual and inviting when it needs to be, then hard-nosed and precise when appropriate. I particularly appreciated the first chapter where he goes over some of the practical but overlooked aspects of living in another country. Even people who are already expats or travelers will probably learn some very valuable they had not considered.

The final chapter discusses renouncing your American citizenship, and alternatives to consider. This is a subject that is often avoided as dark and ugly. Most Americans would never even consider giving up their US passport because they see it as a safety net. As the holder of three passports now, I am glad to see this topic coming into greater public discussion. It is not scary. There are ways to legally and easily become a citizen of another country. I believe that more Americans renounced their citizenship in 2016 than ever before, and I sure think the trend will continue.

The book is relatively short, but the detailed table of contents and index at the back make it easy to skim through and reference specific information when needed. You don't need to read it cover to cover to get value from it, and the images of specific parts of tax forms really make it easier to follow. In my opinion, it is the best book on American expat tax that currently exists on the market.

Encore!

Thank you for helping me break-up with the U.S.Government for good.You are the BEST.

Great book with a lot of useful information

Nice book that introduces you the taxes rules for Americans that like to travel or live abroad.

Title should add for “working “

I was looking for information to educate myself instead it was mostly for nomadic folks with information spread all over- the first four chapters were completely useless. Perhaps having smaller chapters with specific covered topics so customers can pick and choose?