Cross-Border Tax Strategy Session
Whether you are moving into or out of the United States, managing foreign investments, planning for expatriation, or addressing prior-year compliance, our strategy session helps you understand your options and make informed decisions before taking action.
IS THIS SESSION RIGHT FOR YOU?
Moving to or from the United States
Whether relocating for work, retirement, or family, we help you understand your U.S. tax obligations, establish compliant structures, and avoid common pitfalls before you move.
U.S. citizens living overseas
Navigate complex reporting requirements including FBAR, FATCA, foreign pensions, and worldwide income reporting while living abroad.
Green card holders
Understand your ongoing U.S. tax obligations, reporting requirements, and what steps to take if you're considering abandoning your green card.
Complex international tax situations
Address foreign investments, PFICs, controlled foreign corporations, foreign trusts, missed FBAR filings, or streamlined compliance procedures before issues escalate.
Investing outside the United States
Maximize your global portfolio while staying fully compliant. We guide you through the complex tax rules for foreign mutual funds (PFICs), overseas real estate, and foreign business holdings to minimize your tax drag and avoid costly double taxation.
Planning to expatriate
Successfully navigate the complex process of relinquishing your U.S. citizenship or long-term green card. We assist with strategic tax planning to minimize or avoid the exit tax, prepare Form 8854, and ensure a clean, compliant break.
Receiving foreign inheritance
Navigate the unique IRS reporting rules for receiving gifts, trusts, or inheritances from overseas. We help you properly file Form 3520 and establish compliant structures to safeguard your new wealth from steep non-compliance penalties.
Unsure about your U.S. filing obligations
Get clear, definitive answers about your tax status. We analyze your physical presence, income sources, and global assets to determine exactly what you need to file—and what you don't—so you can move forward with confidence.
Cross-Border Tax Strategy Consulting Process
Step 1 - Kickoff Strategy meeting
Objective: Understand your complete cross-border situation.
During our initial meeting, we focus on learning about you before recommending
solutions.
Typical discussion topics include:
-Current country of residence
- Citizenship and immigration status
- Future relocation plans
- Family members and dependents
- Foreign financial accounts
- Investments (PFICs, foreign corporations, trusts, pensions)
- Real estate ownership
- Business interests
- Estate and gift tax concerns
- Previous U.S. tax compliance
- Current tax questions and priorities
Deliverables
Following the meeting, we provide:
- Summary of issues discussed
- Priority ranking of identified tax issues
- Recommended action items
- Estimated timeline
- List of information or documents needed
- Estimated consulting hours (if applicable)
Step 2 - Strategy Consulting Meetings
Rather than simply answering isolated questions, each consulting meeting follows a structured agenda.
Typical Meeting Agenda
1. Review progress since the previous meeting
2. Discuss new developments
3. Review documents provided
4. Analyze planning opportunities
5. Explain applicable U.S. tax rules
6. Evaluate available options
7. Recommend next steps
8. Confirm action items
Between meetings, clients may gather documents, complete assigned tasks, or implement agreed-upon strategies. HubSpot automatically sends meeting reminders and confirmation emails before each scheduled session.
After each meeting, clients receive a brief written summary outlining:- Topics discussed
- Recommendations
- Action items
- Next meeting date (if applicable)
Step 3 - Closing Strategy Meeting
Once the primary objectives have been completed, we conduct a Closing Strategy Meeting.
During this session we:
- Review completed work
- Confirm outstanding items
- Discuss future compliance obligations
- Review upcoming filing deadlines
- Identify future planning opportunities
- Discuss whether additional tax planning or compliance services would be beneficial
Many clients choose to transition into tax preparation, Streamlined Filing Compliance, expatriation planning, estate planning coordination, or ongoing advisory services.
Step 4 - Client Feedback & Future Planning
Following completion of the engagement, we invite every client to provide feedback regarding their experience.
Topics include:
- Overall satisfaction
- Communication
- Meeting effectiveness
- Areas for improvement
- Future topics of interest
We also provide recommendations regarding:
- Future tax planning
- Annual compliance
- Significant life events that may require professional advice
- Changes in U.S. or foreign tax law that may affect the client
Our goal is to build a long-term advisory relationship—not simply answer today's questions.
Your Cross-Border Road Map
The Cross-Border Road Map is the final deliverable from your Cross-Border Tax Consulting Session. It summarizes our key findings in a clear, easy to understand format and organizes our recommended actions in chronological order.
Designed as a practical reference, your Road Map can help guide your tax journey as your personal, financial, and international circumstances evolve. For certain engagements, it may also include an interactive Excel-based model that allows you to change key assumptions, compare potential outcomes, and evaluate how changes in your circumstances may affect the recommended strategy.
Each Cross-Border Road Map reflects CHI border's extensive experience helping cross-border individuals and their families navigate complex international tax matters. It transforms the insights from your consulting session into a valuable, actionable plan that you can revisit over time.
What You Receive Following Your Session
Your strategy session includes a professional review of your facts and objectives, personalized discussion tailored to your situation, clear explanation of applicable U.S. international tax rules, strategic planning ideas and available options, prioritized action items, a comprehensive meeting summary, and detailed recommendations for next steps. We focus on delivering tangible value to help you make informed decisions about your cross-border tax matters.
Ongoing Advisory Relationship
Cross-Border tax planning is an ongoing process.
Clients may return whenever significant life events occur, including:
| - Moving into or out of the U.S | - Becoming a U.S. tax resident |
| - Purchasing Foreign Investments | - Starting a foreign business |
| - Marriage or divorce | - Receiving an inheritance |
| - Giving up a Green Card | - Expatriation |
| - Retirement | - IRS Notices |
Why Clients Choose CHI Border
Cross-Border Focus
We focus exclusively on U.S. international tax matters for individuals and families
Attorney Collaboration
When appropriate, we coordinate with legal counsel on matters involving legal analysis and non-willfulness statements.
Practical Advice
We explain complex tax rules in plain language so you can make informed decisions.
Bilingual Service
Consultations are available in English and Japanese.
FAQ
Why Should I pay for a Cross-Border Tax Strategy Session instead of asking my local CPA?
Cross-border taxation is one of the most specialized areas of U.S. tax law. While many excellent CPAs provide outstanding domestic tax services, international tax matters often involve unique rules, reporting requirements, and planning opportunities that require specialized experience.
Our Cross-Border Tax Strategy Session is designed specifically for individuals and families with international tax issues. Rather than providing general tax information, we help identify the cross-border issues that may affect your particular circumstances and discuss practical strategies for moving forward.
What makes CHI Border qualified to advise on complex international tax matters?
International individual taxation is our primary area of practice.
We regularly assist clients with matters involving:
- Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures
- FBAR and Form 8938 compliance
- PFIC investments (Form 8621)
- Expatriation and Exit Tax (Form 8854)
- Foreign corporations (Form 5471)
- International tax planning before relocating to or from the United States
- IRS international tax notices and examinations
Our strategy session allows you to speak with professionals who work with these issues on a regular basis.
What value will I receive during the Strategy Session?
Our objective is to provide clarity, not simply answer isolated questions.
During the session, we will typically:
- Understand your international tax situation.
- Identify potential compliance risks and planning opportunities.
- Explain how U.S. international tax rules may affect you.
- Discuss possible strategies and available options.
- Recommend practical next steps based on your goals.
Many clients tell us that having a clear roadmap is one of the most valuable outcomes of the consultation.
Is the Strategy Session worth the investment?
Many international tax issues involve significant financial consequences if misunderstood or overlooked.
A single discussion may help you:
- Avoid unnecessary IRS penalties.
- Understand filing obligations before deadlines.
- Evaluate available compliance options.
- Identify tax planning opportunities before making important financial or immigration decisions.
- Gain confidence that you are moving in the right direction.
For many clients, the value comes from understanding their options before making decisions that could have long-term tax consequences.
Who is this Strategy Session designed for?
This consultation is particularly valuable for individuals and families who:
- Are moving into or out of the United States.
- Own foreign bank accounts, investments, businesses, or trusts.
- Have questions about FBAR, Form 8938, PFICs, or foreign corporations.
- Need to correct prior-year international tax filings.
- Are considering expatriation or relinquishing a Green Card.
- Want to proactively plan before making significant cross-border financial or immigration decisions.
If your situation involves international tax issues, this session is designed to help you understand your options before taking action.