There’s a complexity to making things seem easy. Athletes practices for years to be able to execute a specific movement effortlessly. The most minimalist apartments hide flawless storage systems. And the handle of your favorite coffee mug, the one that fits in your hand just so, is the result of hours of research and design work.
Taxes For Expats has taken on the mammoth challenge of doing your taxes seem easy. They’ve chosen to focus on working with expats who often face more complicated tax situations than the average American. And they’ve drawn on their years of experience working with clients in over 190 countries around the globe to make the process as easy as possible.
So how exactly does it work?
At Taxes For Expats, the filing process can be broken into five simple steps:
Step 1 – Create an account
The first step is to create an online account with TFX. This step only takes a couple of minutes and will allow you to access your account anytime, so you can upload documents, get in touch with you preparer, and fill out the TFX’s Tax Questionnaire.
Step 2 – Make time for a 30 minute introductory phone call
After you’ve finished creating your account, you’ll be asked to schedule a 30 minute phone consultation. This is your chance to explain your tax situation in detail and to ask any questions you may have while also getting to know your preparer. Even though TFX works with clients long distance, it’s important for them to know and understand your needs so that they can make sure that your taxes are filed in the most beneficial way possible.
Step 3 – Fill out the Tax Questionnaire
The Tax Questionnaire is TFX’s way of eliminating the stress of pouring over PDF forms full of questions that may not even be relevant to you tax situation. Instead, their interactive Tax Questionnaire will walk you through a series of clear questions about your specific situation. It’s intuitive to use, fast to fill out, and opens directly in your browser. Afterwards, you may be asked to upload a few documents. Unlike most of their competitors, TFX doesn’t use third party services such a Dropbox to manage their clients’ files. Instead, you can upload them directly to your TFX account so that everything stays in one secure place.
Step 4 – Receive and sign your letter of engagement
Once you’ve filled out the Tax Questionnaire and uploaded any relevant documents, TFX will use that information to create a letter of engagement. The letter of engagement will outline the scope of the work to be done and the cost. That way, you’ll know exactly where your money is going–with no nasty surprise bills later on.
Step 5 – Sit back and relax while TFX goes to work on your taxes
The hard part is over. As soon as you’ve signed off on the work to be dones, TFX will start working on your taxes. This process usually takes about fifteen business days, but if you need your taxes done more quickly, just ask! TFX also provides rush services. What will you do with your three weeks of freedom?
When your return is complete, TFX will send you a copy so that you can review their work before your return is submitted to the IRS. Then, TFX will e-file your taxes for you. Not sure if you’re eligible for e-filing? No worries! If you can’t e-file, TFX will provide you with detailed instruction on where and when to mail your return.
There you have it: the whole arduous process of filing your taxes reduced to five simple steps. At TFX they’ve taken simplicity to an artform.
So how do you know that Taxes For Expats is the real deal? After all, you don’t just want your taxes filed quickly and easily, you want them done correctly and in the way that’s the most beneficial to you, the filer. Well, for starters, at TFX they only hire tax professionals with at least ten years of experience and none of the work is outsourced. All of their preparers are either certified CPAs or EAs, and every return is checked, not only by the preparer, but also by a supervisor to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.
TFX wants their clients to know exactly what they’re getting when they choose TFX as their tax preparer which is why they encourage potential clients to compare them to their competitors. They’ve even created a handy guide on how to compare expat tax firms.
Not only are the preparers at TFX consummate professionals, they’re also easy to work with. You can keep in touch with your preparer via email or phone. And if you ever have an urgent question, TFX offers live human support 18 hours a day, so that you can always call or chat with a real human no matter which time zone you’re in. But you don’t have to take their word for it. You can read independent testimonials from TFX’s past clients about their experiences working with TFX.
And if you’re worried that a service like this will come with prices that will break the bank, you’ll be happy to know that TFX offers competitive flat fees for their services.
Taxes For Expats lives up to its name by offering services conceived especially for expats, systems that are accessible from anywhere, and lots of long-distance support. Because they work with local tax preparers around the globe, they may even be able to recommend a firm to help you file in your country of residence. So make an account now and give TFX a try. After all, if you can have a favorite coffee mug, why not a favorite tax preparer?
Not ready to get started on your taxes right now? Browse through a couple of the articles featured on TFX’s expat tax blog. They’re packed with useful information about taxes and how to manage your finances as an expat.
