tusitala

If your eventual situation will be fairly simple and stable, consider paying for an accountant for the first two years then using the second year as a guide to do it yourself going forward

The first year may have all kinds of one time events like property sales, moving expenses, partial residence etc., the second year should provide a better template for future years.

MrFlibble

Good to know, Vadio.

MrFlibble

Yes - that's what I was thinking. Like when I arrived in the USA in 2001 I had the nice tax lady do my taxes and then moved over to H&R Block after a couple of years.

morpeth

I think a lot depends on how much the person has time and experience to grasp the various tax concepts to determine whether the need an accountant or not- I find it difficult to imagine if one is filing both UK and USA tax returns to not seek the advice of an accountant, and on top of that issues involving pensions/savings where a simple error could have significant costs or bother- especially in the first year or two dealing with such subjects after repatriating. US tax laws are inherently complex, I have seen people who for years think they can do their own taxes, and miss key benefits. Better safe than sorry I think. Just my opinion.

morpeth

Good post ! I recently had to deal with a tax issue, and while I considered myself quite conversant with the issue, an accountant who dealt with the issue day after day brought up issues I such a manner I realized I needed advice. The issue of partial year's residence for example can be a bit tricky especially considering the different tax years in USA vs the UK,