Question 1

How much does expat tax preparation cost?

Accepted Answer

Zenith Financial offers transparent, competitive pricing for US expat tax preparation. Our fees are based on the complexity of your tax situation rather than a one-size-fits-all rate, ensuring you only pay for the services you need.

Our Standard Expat Filing package starts at $500 and covers the most common expat scenario: a single-country filing with employment income, FEIE or FTC, and standard deductions. This includes Form 1040, Form 2555 or Form 1116, and FBAR filing.

The Cross-Border Fili...

Question 2

What's included in the basic filing package?

Accepted Answer

Our Standard Expat Filing package includes everything needed for a typical US expat with straightforward filing requirements. Here is a detailed breakdown of what is included.

Tax Return Preparation: Complete Form 1040 with all applicable standard schedules, Form 2555 for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Form 1116 for Foreign Tax Credit (we analyze both and recommend the optimal strategy), Schedule B for interest and dividend income reporting, and any other standard schedules required (Schedu...

Question 3

Are there additional fees for FBAR filing?

Accepted Answer

FBAR filing is included at no additional cost in all of our tax preparation packages. Whether you choose the Standard, Cross-Border, or Comprehensive package, the preparation and electronic filing of FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) is part of the service.

This includes: reviewing your foreign account information to determine FBAR filing obligation, preparing the FBAR with all required account details (institution names, account numbers, maximum values, etc.), electronic filing through the BSA E-Filing S...

Question 4

Do you offer payment plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Zenith Financial offers flexible payment plans for clients who prefer to spread the cost of tax preparation over time. We understand that expat tax services represent an investment, and we want to make our services accessible.

Our standard payment structure is 50% due when you engage our services and the remaining 50% due when your return is ready for filing. This is our default arrangement and works well for most clients.

For larger engagements — particularly multi-year Streamlined filin...

Question 5

Is there a fee for the initial consultation?

Accepted Answer

No, the initial consultation with Zenith Financial is completely free. We offer a complimentary consultation to every prospective client because we believe you should understand your tax situation and our approach before committing to anything.

During the free consultation, we will discuss your living and working situation abroad, review your income sources and filing history, identify which forms and filings you may need, explain the FEIE vs. FTC decision and which might be better for you, dis...

Question 6

What does the cross-border tax package include?

Accepted Answer

Our Cross-Border Filing package is designed for expats with more complex tax situations that go beyond standard employment income and FEIE/FTC. Starting at $800, this package includes everything in our Standard package plus significant additional coverage.

Everything in Standard, plus: Form 8938 (FATCA) for reporting specified foreign financial assets, Form 8833 for treaty-based return positions, analysis and application of applicable tax treaty provisions, both FEIE and FTC analysis (including...

Question 7

Are prices different for late filers with multiple years?

Accepted Answer

Yes, multi-year filing engagements are priced differently from single-year returns, reflecting the additional work involved in preparing multiple returns. However, we offer significant per-year discounts when preparing multiple years together, making the cost per return considerably lower than filing them separately.

For Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures — the most common multi-year engagement — we offer a bundled package that includes: preparation of 3 years of federal tax returns (Form...

Question 8

Do you charge extra for state tax returns?

Accepted Answer

Yes, state tax returns are priced separately from our federal tax preparation packages. State returns start at $150 per state, per year, and the exact fee depends on the complexity of your state situation.

Standard state returns for expats are typically straightforward — most involve filing a part-year resident return for the state you left or a nonresident return if you still have income sourced to a particular state. These are typically at the base $150 price point.

More complex state situat...

Question 9

What's the difference between your pricing tiers?

Accepted Answer

Zenith Financial offers three main pricing tiers designed to match different levels of tax complexity. Here is a clear comparison of what each tier covers and who it is best suited for.

Standard Expat Filing ($500+): Best for single-country expats with employment income. Includes Form 1040, FEIE (Form 2555) or FTC (Form 1116), FBAR filing, standard deductions and schedules, multi-level quality review, e-filing, and year-round support. Ideal for: employees working abroad in one country, with str...

Question 10

Do you offer discounts for returning clients?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Zenith Financial values long-term client relationships and offers loyalty pricing for returning clients. We believe that continuity with your tax professional leads to better outcomes, and we want to reward clients who trust us year after year.

Returning clients benefit in several ways. First, we offer a returning client discount on our standard pricing — typically 10-15% off the base rate for your filing tier. This discount reflects the efficiency gains we achieve from familiarity with yo...

Pricing & Fees