Do More Than Pay Your American Expatriate Taxes: Plan to Vote in November
As US expats, it’s easy to focus on the politics in our host countries. But it’s wise to keep an eye on elections in the United States, which have an impact on American expatriate taxes, how the US and its citizens are seen overseas, and so much more. As a citizen, you have the right to vote even if you reside outside of the boundaries of the country. All it takes is a little planning to ensure the opportunity doesn’t pass you by.
Luckily, American expatriate taxpayers have some dedicated organizations on their side to make voting overseas as easy as possible. In particular, the Overseas Vote Foundation (https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/) works tirelessly to ensure US expats can learn how to register to vote, track the candidates who are up for election in their districts, and much more. They also work closely with Youth Vote Overseas (http://www.youthvoteoverseas.org/) to encourage young voters who live outside of the US to participate in the democratic process.
From the Overseas Vote Foundation website, it takes only a few clicks to download a form to request an Absentee Ballot, which you will need in order to vote by mail. Note: Local election officials in the US will send absentee ballots to overseas civilians and members of the military 45 days prior to the date of the election – if they receive your request prior to that date. It is essential that you re-file a Voter Registration Application/Absentee Ballot Request every calendar year.
If you are looking for more in-depth information about candidates, issues, and the voting records of current members of Congress, consider visiting Project Vote Smart (http://www.votesmart.org/). A non-profit, non-partisan voter resource information center, they even offer a “matchmaker” application called Vote Easy to help you find your perfect match among candidates.
For help with your American expatriate taxes, talk to the experts
We at Greenback Expat Tax Services specialize in helping Americans living overseas with their US expat taxes. If you have questions or would like to get started on preparing your tax returns, complete the form available on our website at www.greenbacktaxservices.com.
