A Tale Of Two Retirees: New Senior Tax Deduction And Foreigners’ Social Security

While a campaign promise by President Donald Trump to eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefit income was not fulfilled, seniors were granted certain relief. The landmark tax legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), signed into law on July 4, 2025 introduced a temporary special deduction for taxpayers aged 65 or older. The Social Security Administration … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Retirees: New Senior Tax Deduction And Foreigners’ Social Security →

Giving Up Citizenship Or Green Card: Harsh Tax On Social Security

A portion of an individual’s U.S. Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits may be subject to U.S. income tax, regardless if the individual is a U.S. or non-U.S. person. Before delving into the details about tax on Social Security, it is helpful to understand the different nomenclature when it comes to certain benefits. Social … Continue reading Giving Up Citizenship Or Green Card: Harsh Tax On Social Security →

American Taxpayer Abroad: U.S. Social Security, What You Need To Know

The world of work has changed dramatically. No longer confined to an office in a fixed location, people are working from many different locales and exploring varied work lifestyles. The possibilities are vast - working in foreign countries, living as a digital nomad, owning one’s own company abroad, are but a few. If you are an … Continue reading American Taxpayer Abroad: U.S. Social Security, What You Need To Know →

Filing A U.S. Tax Return – Even When Not Required – A Very Smart Move

Many taxpayers, especially retirees living abroad, may find themselves in a situation in which their income is too low to meet the threshold for filing a U.S. tax return. Retirees who only receive Social Security income (or small amounts of other additional income), for example, often fall below the tax filing requirement. Understandably, many people … Continue reading Filing A U.S. Tax Return – Even When Not Required – A Very Smart Move →

Social Security Benefits Paid to US and Non-US Individuals, Including Those Who Expatriated – How Are They Taxed?

A portion of an individual’s US Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits may be subject to Federal Income tax, regardless if the individual is a US or non-US person. Today’s post looks at the US taxation details on US social security benefits for US and non-US persons. My earlier blog post here discussed the … Continue reading Social Security Benefits Paid to US and Non-US Individuals, Including Those Who Expatriated – How Are They Taxed? →

Understanding Self-Employment Tax: The American Abroad

US Social Security and Medicare taxes continue to apply to “wages” for services performed as an employee working outside of the United States if you are working for an “American employer”. Many Americans abroad are employees of a foreign employer and I will write a separate blog post about their situation. Many Americans abroad are self-employed … Continue reading Understanding Self-Employment Tax: The American Abroad →

SECURE Act – Changes to Retirement Plan and IRA Rules – No More Big “Stretch”, Work Longer, Contribute More

Right before Saint Nicholas’ Christmas visit, President Trump signed the "Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020" to provide necessary funding to keep the federal government running through September 30, 2020. Included in the Appropriations Act was an additional piece of legislation commonly referred to as the “SECURE Act” (the full title is “Setting Every Community Up … Continue reading SECURE Act – Changes to Retirement Plan and IRA Rules – No More Big “Stretch”, Work Longer, Contribute More →