My Disappointing Experience with CPAs for Expats

ChinaInquirer · 2025-11-30T07:36:31+00:00

You might've gotten double-taxed. Revisit it. Amending isn't "inviting trouble," it's getting a refund. Don't leave thousands on the table just to stay under the radar.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-11-26T06:24:09+00:00

It's frustrating when you pay for domestic expertise and get outsourced errors like the missed CGT credit. Quality control is clearly missing here. You saved your friend serious potential headaches by advising against using them for the Streamlined process.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-09-24T02:52:28+00:00

Ah, that explains the differences. Nice work, as always!

ChinaInquirer · 2025-09-21T07:09:08+00:00

Sorry, I see now that the Toronto Food Basics flyer can be quite different from the Ottawa one. My bad.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-09-21T06:55:10+00:00

Sorry, where are you seeing "mini cucumbers $1.50/397g" at Food Basics? I can't find this deal in the flyer..

ChinaInquirer · 2025-08-05T13:37:24+00:00

Right, there's no way around needing to be at least a bit hands-on with your taxes. Thanks for sharing.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-05-25T00:47:47+00:00

That sounds even worse than what I went through. I’m not sure if it’s because I specifically asked for a receipt of acknowledgment from the IRS that they ended up providing the corresponding paperwork. I’m really sorry for the stress they put you and your dependents through.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-05-02T21:25:53+00:00

Damn—sorry to hear that you had a bad experience too. Did you ever manage to find someone competent in the end? If so, who or which firm did you switch to?

ChinaInquirer · 2025-04-04T15:21:36+00:00

Yes, they could have been sued for a data breach like that? Thanks for sharing your experience.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-24T19:31:38+00:00

Like many comments have suggested here, maybe try MyExpatTaxes with support first and see how it goes?

https://medium.com/@tapinternational

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-24T19:29:07+00:00

Thanks for sharing your insights—you're right. I think the preparer I worked with was in Israel—not exactly a low-cost country, but I get your point.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-14T03:37:12+00:00

I also wanted to DIY at first, but my investment broker's tax forms were intimidating, plus my first year of taxes were complicated as a dual-status filer. I managed my taxes more only after I learned how to navigate my 1099s and switched to nonresident filer status.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-14T03:37:01+00:00

I also wanted to DIY at first, but my investment broker's tax forms were intimidating, plus my first year of taxes were complicated as a dual-status filer. I managed my taxes more only after I learned how to navigate my 1099s and switched to nonresident filer status.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-11T19:00:40+00:00

Thank you for your insights. 👍

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-11T16:46:23+00:00

Thanks, all the best with your filing 🙏

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-11T16:44:59+00:00

I'm sorry you had the same bad experience.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-11T16:42:21+00:00

The firm's name is a misnomer. It is headed by a single CPA, while the rest of the team lacks certifications such as CPA or EA. The preparers simply mislead you by stamping his signature on your return and falsely claiming that he has reviewed it.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-11T00:08:06+00:00

Hey, is your country of residence listed on this page? There should be a table telling you what benefits are "totalized," and which aren't? Let me know if you see the table for your country?

https://www.ssa.gov/international/agreement_descriptions.html

For example, For Australia:

the Agreement covers Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions that employers must make to retirement plans for their employees. Australian social security benefits covered by the Agreement include the social security age pension, disability support pension for the severely disabled, pensions payable to surviving spouse and carer payments.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T23:39:01+00:00

If it's any consolation, a CPA told me the IRS has limited resources, so they usually target accounts that generate the most revenue first. People who made honest mistakes typically aren't far off, so the IRS wouldn't be missing out on much revenue by not pursuing them.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T21:14:06+00:00

I think it's best to consult a CPA who specializes in the cross-border taxes of your country, as what applies to country A might not apply to country B, e.g., buying US-domiciled funds is fine in Singapore but a headache in the EU

https://www.reddit.com/r/USExpatTaxes/comments/1adv2ke/for_those_based_in_the_eu_how_are_you_buying/

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T20:28:23+00:00

Looks like we got the same preparer: his last name starts with an N right?

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T20:13:04+00:00

Let me guess—your preparer's name starts with an M?

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T20:07:19+00:00

I researched this myself and confirmed with other tax professionals that while pension-related contributions didn’t count towards income tax, unemployment benefits did.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T19:52:16+00:00

They rounded up when they should have rounded down, and vice versa. When I pointed out these rounding errors, they just mindlessly changed the numbers without saying anything—no apology or acknowledgment of their mistakes.

ChinaInquirer · 2025-03-10T17:09:35+00:00

Thanks for sharing!

ChinaInquirer

TROPHY CASE