thanks,
Rebecca
American living in Switzerland. Anyone have an accountant to recommend who can do American taxes?
I always did my own, my kids as well.
Tom
They were able to help with my tax related problems two years ago.
https://www.usstax.com/
This firm advertises on World Radio Switzerland (an English language radio station in CH). It might be worth a chat with them to discuss your needs.
Am using Greenback
https://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/
Thanks very much for the recommendations. We’ll look into them.
Meanwhile, I disrecommend Taxpat: http://taxpat.ch/
She failed to inform us last year that I’m not allowed to pay into my Roth IRA because all my earnings are out of the country, so I’ve now had to withdraw the funds and interest for my Roth contributions last year and this year.
As someone who advises American taxpayers, this is something she should have known!
Is she from Slovakia? If not, her server with a ch address is located there. But then again the EF server is in Germany.
Anyway, always made it a point to ask my accountant, in advance, if I can contribute to the IRA. Some years its been possible. Others not. In any case inform the bank to refund your contribution since it cant be deducted.
I don't know where she's from.
Yes, I already got a refund of my Roth contribution for both years (contribution + interest).
Just another recommendation for Greenback. I used a locally-based preparer here in Switzerland, and was really disappointed. I've been using Greenback for years now, and have been really happy with them. They're quick, and they specialize in expats, so they know the complications of international tax law inside-out.
Since robBob was the first to recommend them, make sure you get him to refer you. You'll both get $50 off your fees.
Ok, I'll do that! (have Rob refer us)
We're reviewing the multiple suggestions given here, and if we go with Greenback (now at the top of the list with 2 endorsements), I'll have him refer us.
I'm curious -- when you say "American taxes", do you mean both of the following:
- Figure out and file taxes in the US
- Figure out and file taxes in Switzerland
As I understand it, as a US citizen who is registered in Switzerland, you do need to file in both countries.
I'm asking partly to make sure my understanding is correct!
The tax person I found in Switzerland works with a CPA in the US, and they tag-team the taxes. But honestly I'd rather find a single person with the expertise to do both, because as an engineer it makes me nervous having two "moving parts" in the system.
It seems like you all just have your one tax person, who handles both American and Swiss filings.
Which two are you considering? I’m thinking of switching from KPMG to a smaller firm, but want the same firm to have expertise in US and Swiss taxes. I assume any new form will have to sift through and integrate the last 7 years of taxes.
Does anyone have experience with US Tax Services? https://www.ustaxservices.ch/
I've worked with two preparers for years -- the output from the Swiss tax is basically an input to the US tax. There is very little you can do to shelter from tax in either system.
So the process is basically: calculate your Swiss tax liability (using a Swiss preparer), then that gets fed into the US tax as your Foreign Tax Credit. Apart from this, there is very little to coordinate between the two returns, so not much utility in placing everything in the hands of one preparer.
I usually create a single dossier of documents that I provide to both my US and Swiss preparer. This way, I know they're both working from the same 'source of truth'.
The big differences are capital gains and employer pension contributions. Uncle Sam wants his slice of the pie.
I recommend AIT. I have a couple years of experience with them. I used to use someone in the US, but I thought the price was high (ca $1,400). I also wanted someone local in CH, and then I met Rebecca who runs AIT. The service is fine, but the price is about the same.
Ironically, my CH tax consultant is relatively cheap (< 300CHF).
Last, I suggest using people who are specialists for their country rather than hoping to find one who will do anything. For instance, the US tax code changes on a regular basis and it's best to have someone who keeps up with it all.
Thanks very much for your information; I'm glad to know I'm not making this more complicated than necessary, by having two separate, and expensive, tax people look at things.
I'm with @st2lemans in that typically, I do my own US taxes. So one part of me doesn't like the feeling of helplessness in handing this responsibility off to someone I don't know very well.
However Tax Year 2023 has stacked up with numerous life changes and their corresponding taxable events so much that another part of me is quite relieved to drop a bunch of documents in my preparers' laps and say "deal with it and send me the bill."
Not looking forward to that bill though.
All residents of CH, even US citizens, no exceptions, must report income and assets and pay taxes first to CH. Then for US citizens if the tax on US and CH taxable income is higher than what is taxed in CH, than the difference must be paid.
Based on this fact, the Swiss tax reporting must first be done. Do this myself with the free and exceptionally outstanding no brainer tax software from https://zhp.services.zh.ch/app/ZHprivateTax/
Then I send the CH tax declaration to my Greenback accountant who dutifully figures out the least damage to my assets. She has even read the US CH treaty to save me many a penny.
I haven't heard back from Greenback in about 2 weeks (so very not impressed, after getting 2 recommendations here). So I'll look into AIT, thanks for recommending it.
Swiss taxes are easy, which is why I don't need an accountant for that, just for US taxes.
But a Swiss accountant who can do US taxes can obviously also do your Swiss taxes, since you want a single person doing everything.
I'd double-check with Greenback that your email hasn't gotten lost - they are normally very responsive and reply in less than 24 hours.
Incidentally, AIT was the Swiss-based preparer that I was very disappointed with, and the reason I went to Greenback in the first place. There may be people who are happy with AIT, but you're buying into a single person. At Greenback, there is a team and an infrastructure, and they're considerably cheaper.
EDIT: For reference, I went back and looked at the fees. I paid CHF945- for a simple return at AIT in 2012. I now have a much more complicated return, with several schedules, FBAR, 8938, and itemized deductions, and I pay less than CHF600- at Greenback.
I’ve used this guy for years (until I renounced citizenship and didn’t need him anymore… he helped me through that complicated process as well).
I highly recommend, very reasonable fees, lots of experience.