◉ Federal Tax Returns
Form 1040 — resident return
The main federal return for US citizens and Green Card holders, wherever you live in the world. We prepare 1040s for Americans in the UK with foreign earned income, UK employment, self-employment, and rental income.
Short answer
US citizens and Green Card holders must file Form 1040 every year they exceed the filing threshold, wherever they live, reporting worldwide income in US dollars. Americans abroad get an automatic extension to 15 June; tax owed is still due 15 April. Most owe little or nothing after the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Foreign Tax Credit, but the return is still required.
Overview
Why this filing matters
The main federal return for US citizens and Green Card holders, wherever you live in the world. We prepare 1040s for Americans in the UK with foreign earned income, UK employment, self-employment, and rental income.
Note — Main return for US persons abroad.
◉ Who this is for
- •US citizens living in the UK
- •Green Card holders based abroad
- •US persons with UK employment, self-employment, or rental income
✓ What you get
- ✓Federal return preparation & e-filing
- ✓Foreign income reported correctly on Schedule B, D, E as applicable
- ✓Integration with FEIE, foreign tax credits, and treaty positions
- ✓Plain-English explanation of your final position
At a glance
- Key forms
- 1040 + Schedules
- Category
- Federal Tax Returns
- Turnaround
- 2–3 weeks once documents are complete
- Filed by
- ACCA-qualified IRS Enrolled Agent
Our approach
A return that reconciles both sides.
A US federal return for someone who lives in the UK is not a US return with a foreign address bolted on. The exclusion-versus-credit decision, the treaty positions, the UK tax year that straddles two US years, and the state you may or may not have left behind all interact — and the wrong call in one place quietly raises the bill in another.
We prepare the return from the reconciliation outward: we line up what the UK has already taxed against what the US wants to tax, choose FEIE or the Foreign Tax Credit on the numbers rather than by habit, and document every election so next year's return — and any future preparer — inherits a clean position.
- FEIE vs Foreign Tax Credit modelled on your actual figures, not applied by default
- UK/US tax-year timing reconciled so foreign tax lands in the right credit year
- State filing obligations checked before we assume you have left the state behind
£550+
Standard 1040 starting fee
2–3 wks
Turnaround once docs are in
100%
E-filed with IRS confirmation
0
Hidden fees or hourly billing
Documents
What we’ll need from you
- Prior year's US return (federal + any state)
- UK P60, P11D, and self-assessment if applicable
- Foreign bank account list with peak balances
- Brokerage / ISA / SIPP year-end statements
- Rental income & expense summary (if applicable)
- Any IRS or HMRC notices received in the year
First year I haven't dreaded April. They explained why my UK pension contributions were costing me thousands and rewrote my filing strategy in one call.
Our process
How we handle your filing
Four steps from first email to filed return. Fixed fee confirmed in writing before any work begins.
01
Intake
Send us your situation by email or the enquiry form. We come back with the questions we need answered — every source of income for the year, filing history, accounts and entities — and a tailored document list.
02
Review
We analyse your position, flag any cross-border risks, and confirm the scope and fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
03
Prepare
Draft returns and schedules are prepared with plain-English commentary on key positions for your review.
04
File
You sign electronically; we e-file with the IRS / FinCEN and send you the acceptance confirmations for your records.
Pricing
Fixed fees — no surprises
Standard 1040 returns for US expats start from £550 (plus VAT for UK-resident clients). The final fee depends on the schedules required (rental, self-employment, investment income) and the number of foreign accounts — we quote once we have confirmed every source of income for the year. You'll know the full price before any work starts.
Prices are indicative starting points and exclude UK VAT, which applies to UK-resident clients only. We quote in writing once we have confirmed every source of income and your filing history for the years involved.
FAQs
Common questions
Sources
Rules, thresholds and penalties are as published by the IRS and FinCEN at the time of our last review (2026-09-08); always check the current instructions for the year you are filing.
Related services
Others in Federal Tax Returns
Form 1040NR — non-resident return
For non-US persons with US-source income — rental property, business income, scholarships, or dispositions of US real estate.
Learn more →
Form 1040X — amended return
Correct prior-year federal returns — whether to claim missed credits, fix errors, or add late-reported income.
Learn more →
Schedule 2 — additional taxes
Covers Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), self-employment tax, NIIT, and additional Medicare tax where applicable.
Learn more →
Who this is for
Situations where this filing usually applies
Related reading
Guides from our team on this topic
- Foreign Housing Exclusion 2025–2026: How Americans in the UK Exclude Rent on Top of the FEIEFEIE · Housing · 9 min read →
- The Form 1116 AMT Foreign Tax Credit: Why Yours Can Shrink Under the 2026 AMT ResetForeign Tax Credit · AMT · 8 min read →
- Best Accountants for US Expats in the UK: 2026 ChecklistChoosing an Adviser · 10 min read →
- Accountants for US Expats in the UK: ACCA vs EA — Which Do You Need?Choosing an Advisor · 10 min read →
- The Child Tax Credit for Americans Abroad: How UK Families Claim Up to $1,700 BackChild Tax Credit · 10 min read →
- Married to a Non-American? Your US Tax Filing Options in the UKMixed-Nationality Couples · 10 min read →
Ready to get this filed?
Tell us your situation and we’ll reply by email within 2 working days with our questions, then a written scope, fixed fee and document list.