US expat tax services, priced on the full stack.

Best for: Cross-border situations handled by a CPA/EA firm

Not a consumer service, and that's the point: at some level of complexity — foreign corporations, PFIC stacks, multiple entities, years of missed filings — the honest answer to "best expat tax service" is a CPA or EA firm, and the useful question becomes what the firm runs. deciqAI is that engine. It computes the FBAR and Form 8938 determinations per client — year-high aggregation, residency-adjusted thresholds, penalty exposure — into workpapers where every figure carries its statute citation, so the reviewing professional can trace each number to source in seconds. Figures are exposure, never a projected saving, and anything the records cannot support is flagged rather than filled in. Practices are priced per active client engagement with unlimited seats; FBAR, 8938 and 5471 workpapers are quoted per workpaper. Disclosure: this is our product — we're not neutral, weigh accordingly.

Main limitation: It will not file your 1040 and has no consumer checkout. If you're a salaried expat with a couple of foreign accounts, every other entry on this list costs less and fits better — this one matters when a firm is doing your work.

Best for: The cheapest published full stack, as guided software

The pricing model is the differentiator: FBAR and FATCA (Form 8938) reporting are included from the $175 Base plan, not sold as add-ons — so the advertised price is unusually close to the real price for someone with foreign accounts. The Base plan covers investment and freelance income with Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit optimization; Reviewed at $320 adds a US tax professional's review and approval, and Premium at $639 adds document upload and hands-on professional support. On foreign investments, its published PFIC pricing includes one Form 8621 with additional PFIC forms at $69 each.

Main limitation: It's software you drive. The FBAR inputs — each account's institution, ownership and year-high balance — are yours to get right, and preparer-level judgment starts at the Reviewed tier, not the base price.

Best for: The cheapest preparer-filed stack, fully itemized

TFX publishes what most preparers put behind a quote: a flat fee schedule specific enough to price your entire situation before signing. The core arithmetic for a foreign-accounts filer: $450 federal return + $85 FBAR + $100 Form 8938 (up to 5 accounts) = $635 preparer-filed. Investment activity is handled through its Expanded Income Bundle at $75 — covering capital gains up to 10 transactions, self-employment and rental among other items — and the Streamlined package runs $1,450, adjusted to $1,650 when income exceeds $100,000.

Main limitation: The itemized model cuts both ways: an investment-heavy or multi-form situation accumulates add-ons, and heavy brokerage activity beyond the bundled 10 transactions is where the quote grows.

Best for: A dedicated accountant, flat fees, standalone options

Greenback's model is accountant-matched: one named preparer you email directly through the engagement, flat fees agreed before work begins. The foreign-accounts stack: $565 federal return + $125 FBAR (up to 5 accounts, each additional block of 5 at $60) + FATCA reporting from $120 — from $810 all-in. Its Streamlined package is $1,750 flat, covering 3 years of returns, 6 years of FBARs and Form 14653, and consultations with an accountant start at $250.

Main limitation: The per-5-account block pricing on both FBAR and FATCA compounds if you hold many accounts — at 20 accounts the FBAR alone reaches $305, where Bright!Tax's unlimited-account model wins the arithmetic.

Best for: Many foreign accounts, CPA/EA-prepared, one fixed quote

Every Bright!Tax engagement is quoted as a fixed fee before any work begins, prepared by a US CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent who works only in expat tax. The structural advantage for this page's reader: the FBAR is included in return engagements from $800 with no limit on the number of accounts, and Form 8938 is $170. Its fees page is unusually direct that most clients pay around $1,200 once their situation's forms are included — budget against that, not the floor. The Streamlined route starts at $1,860.

Main limitation: No standalone FBAR and no itemized à-la-carte menu — the model is a quoted engagement, so the price for your specific situation only exists after the intake conversation.

Best for: Confident DIY filers who want software, not a service

Self-service expat tax software that also e-files FBARs — the DIY alternative to MyExpatTaxes for filers who know their situation and want the return and foreign-account reporting handled in one product without preparer involvement.

Main limitation: Its site blocked automated retrieval when we checked in August 2026, so we link to it rather than quote figures we could not read at the source. Confirm current pricing and PFIC support there directly.

How much does US expat tax preparation cost with foreign accounts?

Compare the stack, not the sticker. As guided software: MyExpatTaxes runs $175 with FBAR and Form 8938 included. Preparer-filed: TaxesForExpats totals $635 ($450 return + $85 FBAR + $100 8938), Greenback from $810 ($565 + $125 + FATCA from $120), and Bright!Tax quotes engagements from $800 with the FBAR included — most of its clients pay around $1,200. All figures read off vendor pricing pages in August 2026.

Do expat tax services file the FBAR for me?

The preparer services here do — but priced differently. TaxesForExpats charges $85 and Greenback $125 (up to 5 accounts) as add-ons; MyExpatTaxes and Bright!Tax include the FBAR (from the $175 Base plan and the $800 engagement respectively). Note the FBAR is a separate filing to FinCEN, not part of your tax return — our FBAR filing guide covers the mechanics, including free direct filing.

What about foreign investments — mutual funds and ETFs?

This is where expat returns get expensive and wrong. Non-US mutual funds and ETFs are typically PFICs, each generally requiring Form 8621, and vendors price that beyond the base return: MyExpatTaxes publishes one PFIC form included with additional forms at $69 each; TaxesForExpats routes investment activity through its $75 Expanded Income Bundle covering up to 10 capital-gains transactions; quote-based services fold it into the engagement. If you hold many PFICs, get the per-form price in writing before choosing.

What does catching up through the Streamlined procedures cost?

For broadly similar scope — roughly three to four years of returns plus six years of FBARs — published packages run $875 (MyExpatTaxes), $1,450 to $1,650 (TaxesForExpats, depending on income), $1,750 (Greenback, including Form 14653) and from $1,860 (Bright!Tax). Eligibility, not price, is the real question: the Streamlined route requires non-willful conduct, and establishing that is where a professional earns the fee. Educational content, not tax advice.

Should I use software or a human preparer as an expat?

Software fits when you can answer every input question confidently: which accounts you hold, each year-high balance, what your investments legally are. A preparer fits when any of those answers is uncertain, when PFICs or foreign entities enter, or when prior years are messy. And when the situation involves Form 5471, trusts or multi-entity structures, a CPA/EA firm — with firm-grade tooling — is the honest answer, at firm prices.

What is the difference between the FBAR and Form 8938?

Independent obligations with separate penalties. The FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) goes to FinCEN when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any point in the year; Form 8938 attaches to your 1040 when specified foreign financial assets cross thresholds from $50,000 to $600,000 depending on residency and filing status. Many expats with accounts and investments must file both. Our comparison guide walks both tests with every figure cited to statute.