ISO US tax specialist in the UK

August 4, 2023 10:38 AM

American living and working in the UK, tired of filing my own US taxes. For other US citizens living abroad, please could you recommend accounting firms that you have had positive first-hand experiences with?

I've been filing my own US taxes since 2016. Though I've not yet had any issues (touch wood), I've never been 100% confident in my own work. I am now older, wiser and more willing to pay someone else to do it for me for the sake of avoiding the anxiety and hassle.

My preference would be somewhere with locations in the UK--ideally in Leeds, Manchester or London, though I am open to reputable firms based in the US if they specialise in US expat (ugh, hate that term) taxes. I'm willing to pay, but I'm not a high net-worth individual so the likes of Blick Rothenberg don't seem right for me. I'm not trying to hide my assets (lol what assets) in the Cayman Islands. I'm just a simple American woman trying not to fuck up my taxes and life.

I have Googled this myself, but there are so many options and mixed reviews that I'm finding it difficult to tell who is reputable and trustworthy. It would be helpful if other Americans abroad with direct experience* of using a particular firm could please share some recommendations.

*I mean it! Please don't just Google and share the results you've found but have not personally used.

posted by quadrant seasons to Work & Money (4 answers total)

We used these guys for our Canadian tax issues - (I am aware Canadian and US taxes are very different, but they specialise in dual residence tax issues and have US clients):

Carthy Accountants Limited
33 Eastgate Street
Stafford
ST16 2LZ

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.carthyaccountants.co.uk
posted by tinkletown at 11:54 AM on August 4, 2023

UK/USA dual citizen here. When I first immigrated to the UK and was higher net worth than I am now, I used Spott, Lucey & Wall for my USA taxes. They were good and pleasant to work with, not cheap but I suspect any good firm with a specialty in expat tax is likely to be on the pricey side. Now I do my own, having figured the penalty for anything I get wrong is likely to be less than the cost of the accountants.
posted by Rhedyn at 12:28 PM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

TaxesForExpats.com - I pay them every year since I think 2016, to remove the anxiety! I’m a US citizen based in the uk for 30 years. They also do FBAR and FATCA.
posted by mgrrl at 3:25 PM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm a US citizen in the UK. I use the H&R Block expat service and it has been a good experience for me. There's the DIY version that I've used for $99 and you can get a tax advisor for $199. Money well spent, in my case.
posted by stinker at 12:10 AM on August 5, 2023