EXPAT STATE TAXES

Greenback prepares each state return for a flat $185 for any tax year, with the residency review included in that fee. A return for a second state is another $185, and Greenback’s professional review of a state return prepared elsewhere is $350.

Greenback starts every state return with a residency review. State rules vary widely and are set independently of the IRS, so leaving the country does not automatically end a state filing obligation. A Greenback accountant reviews your domicile, the time you spent in the state, and the ties you kept, such as a driver’s license, a mailing address, property, or voter registration, then tells you whether you need a full-year return, a part-year return, or nothing at all.

Greenback files a return in each state where you need one, at $185 per state, all handled by the same accountant so your state and federal figures stay consistent. Multiple state returns are common for people who moved between states before going abroad or who kept income in more than one state.

Greenback prepares part-year resident returns for the year you moved, and nonresident state returns for income you still earn in a state, such as rent from a property you kept, at the same $185 per state return. A Greenback accountant confirms which type each state requires as part of the residency review.

Greenback prepares state returns as a separate $185 service, so you can use Greenback for your state return even if your federal return is prepared elsewhere. When Greenback prepares both, the same accountant handles them, so the figures match.

Greenback files prior-year state returns at the same $185 per year, with no surcharge for older years. State late-filing rules and penalties differ from federal ones, and expats who owe nothing often face little or no penalty. Greenback reviews which years require a return and tells you what to expect from the state before you file.

Greenback can respond to the state for you for $350, reviewing what the state has asked for and replying on your behalf. Most reviews are resolved with documentation alone, without an amended return, so send Greenback the state’s letter as soon as it arrives.

Greenback needs three things to run the residency review: your last U.S. address, the date you moved, and what you still hold in that state. If a return is required, a Greenback accountant sends you a list of documents specific to that state.

Greenback provides a specific list of steps to take for your former state as part of the residency review, such as updating your driver’s license, mailing address, voter registration, and vehicle registration, and documenting the date you left. Following that list and establishing a clear home elsewhere is what lets most states stop treating you as a resident.