How much does expat tax preparation cost in 2026?
Published flat fees for an expat federal return mostly run from about $400 to $800, and the quote you are given is often not the bill, because forms get added afterwards. My Complete Return is a flat $599, fixed before work starts, and it includes the federal return, one state, the FBAR and FATCA. What a price includes matters more than the price.
What expat tax preparation costs
For the return alone, published flat fees from preparers who specialise in Americans abroad mostly fall between about $400 and $800. Some start higher, and some quote a low base price and add forms to it. Those figures are as providers publish them, checked 18 October 2026, and they change.
A return from abroad costs more than a domestic one for a reason that is not padding: it carries forms a domestic return does not. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion is claimed on Form 2555, the foreign tax credit on Form 1116, foreign accounts on the FBAR, and foreign assets above the threshold on Form 8938. A treaty position needs its own disclosure.
What moves the price up
Most of the difference between a $449 return and a $995 one is the facts, not the preparer. These are the situations that add work:
What I charge, and what each price includes
Every fee is published, and the price quoted before work starts is the price invoiced. If your facts move a return from Complete to Complex, you get the new number before any work starts, never as a surprise on the invoice.
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Every package includes a call with the person who signs the return, the exclusion and the foreign tax credit compared rather than assumed, the foreign housing exclusion computed from your lease or employer statement, and e-filing with a signed copy for your own records.
Where a low quote becomes a high bill
A low headline price is only comparable once you know what it leaves out. Ask whether each of these is already in the number.
The FBAR. Some providers price it separately. In my Complete Return it is included, and FBAR-only filing is $125 if that is all you need. FinCEN's own system also files it free, and the FBAR and FATCA page explains when the review is worth paying for.
The state return. One state is included in a Complete Return. Each additional state is $89.
Extra forms. Some quotes price each form on its own, so the total depends on how many your return turns out to need.
The extension. The federal extension on Form 4868 is free here, whether or not you go on to book a return.
Hourly time. Hourly billing makes the final figure impossible to know in advance. A fixed fee lets you decide with the number in front of you.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
Who prepares and signs the return? The person who signs is accountable for it. For an Enrolled Agent, the credential can be checked yourself in the IRS Return Preparer directory.
What is the total, with every form my return needs? Ask for one number, in writing, before any work starts.
Is the FBAR in the price? If your foreign accounts together passed $10,000, you file one whether or not you owe tax.
What happens if the IRS writes to me later? An Enrolled Agent has unrestricted rights to represent you before the IRS.
What do you not do? A preparer who says so up front saves you finding out in April. Here, host-country returns, renunciation and expatriation on Form 8854, and groups of operating entities with payroll are referred out.
When software or a cheaper option is enough
Not everyone needs a preparer. If you are an employee in one country, have no foreign accounts that passed $10,000 together, and your income sits comfortably under the exclusion — $132,900 for tax year 2026 — software can often produce a correct return, and an FBAR, if you need one, can be filed free.
The case for paying is a decision that is still open, such as the exclusion or the credit, income from self-employment, rental property or foreign funds, or years of missed filings. The comparison of software, a large firm and one Enrolled Agent sets out where each one fits, including where I am not the right choice.
When the price is higher
A Complex Return is $995 and covers self-employment, rental income, investments, dual-status returns, and multiple countries in one year. If you are several years behind, the route is the Streamlined catch-up package at $1,395: three returns, six FBARs and Form 14653. It covers preparation only, never the tax due. The catch-up filing page explains how it works.
This practice's published fees on the pricing page; IRS Publication 54 and the instructions for Forms 2555, 1116 and 8938; 31 CFR 1010.350 for the FBAR; Rev. Proc. 2025-32 for the 2026 exclusion. The $400 to $800 range is taken from the pricing pages that expat tax preparers publish, checked 18 October 2026; those fees change, so confirm any quote in writing. Checked 18 October 2026.
Questions about expat tax preparation costs
How much does expat tax preparation cost?
Published flat fees for an expat federal return mostly run from about $400 to $800, depending on the provider and what is included. A Complete Return here is $599 and includes the federal return, one state, the FBAR and FATCA; a simpler return is $449 and a complex one is $995.
Is the FBAR included in the price?
In a Complete or Essential Return, yes. If the FBAR is all you need, FBAR-only filing is $125 for up to five accounts, and FinCEN's own system files it free if you would rather do it yourself.
Do I pay extra for a state return?
A Complete Return includes one state. Each additional state return is $89.
Why does a return from abroad cost more than a domestic one?
It carries forms a domestic return does not: Form 2555 for the exclusion, Form 1116 for the foreign tax credit, the FBAR and Form 8938 for foreign accounts and assets, and sometimes a treaty disclosure. It also needs a choice between the exclusion and the credit, which has to be worked through rather than assumed.
Can I get a firm quote before I commit?
Yes. Every fee is published, the price quoted before work starts is the price invoiced, and a 15-minute qualification call is free and tells you which package fits. If your return does not need a preparer, you will hear that on the call.
Want the total for your return?
Fifteen minutes with the Enrolled Agent who will prepare and sign it. You will leave with one number, and if you do not need me, you will hear that.