Can I get help with multiple tax years at once?

Yes, Zenith Financial regularly handles multiple tax year filings, and this is actually one of our most common service requests. Many US expats come to us needing to catch up on several years of unfiled returns, and we have an efficient process for handling these situations.

We offer multi-year packages specifically designed for catch-up filers. These packages include preparation of multiple years of federal tax returns, FBARs, and any required international information returns (Forms 8938, 2555, 1116, etc.). We typically offer discounted per-year pricing when preparing multiple years together, as there are efficiencies in handling all years simultaneously.

Our multi-year approach provides strategic advantages beyond simple cost savings. When preparing multiple years at once, we can: ensure consistency across all years, optimize the FEIE vs. FTC decision year by year, properly carry forward foreign tax credits from high-tax years, coordinate FBAR and FATCA reporting across all covered years, and file under the appropriate IRS compliance program (Streamlined Procedures, Delinquent FBAR Submission, etc.).

For the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures specifically, we prepare the required 3 years of tax returns and 6 years of FBARs as a coordinated package. This ensures all submissions are consistent and meet the program's requirements.

The process for multi-year filings is similar to a single year but with some additional steps: we conduct an initial assessment to determine how many years need to be filed and under which program, we gather information for all years simultaneously, we prepare and review all years as a package, and we file everything together.

We understand that gathering documents from multiple prior years can be challenging. We can often work with bank statements, prior year returns (if available), and other alternative documentation when original records are unavailable. The IRS also maintains records of income reported by employers and financial institutions that can help reconstruct missing information.