Claim OwnershipThe Expat Sage Podcast
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© 2026 The Expat Sage Podcast
Description
Moving, Working, and Investing for Americans Abroad.
Pre-relocation planning advice and investment strategies for American citizens moving abroad.
Discover expert insights and comprehensive strategies for expats on investing in a dual taxation world, managing finances, and planning for retirement.
39 Episodes
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The rules of the game just changed, and anyone living between the U.S. and Germany can feel the floor move. We unpack what actually shifted in 2026, why the headlines about a “1% transfer tax” missed the point, and how to build a defense that keeps more of what you earn. From business owners hit by NCTI to families blindsided by Germany’s new exit tax on ordinary funds, this conversation trades confusion for a clear plan. We start by killing the remittance panic with the banked exemption—dig...
Ti sei mai chiesto come funzionano le tasse americane quando vivi all'estero ma possiedi una casa negli Stati Uniti o ricevi redditi da fonti USA? Il nostro episodio approfondisce questo labirinto fiscale, offrendo una bussola per orientarsi tra regole complesse e opportunità spesso sconosciute. Partiamo dalla distinzione fondamentale tra essere "resident alien" o "non-resident alien", una classificazione che determina completamente il tuo destino fiscale. Scoprirai la differenza cruciale tr...
A simple foreign fund should not blow up a decade of savings—yet for U.S. citizens abroad, the PFIC regime can turn a plain ETF into a financial trap. We pull back the curtain on how ordinary investments meet an extraordinary tax system, why the default rules punish long holding periods, and how to rebuild a portfolio that won’t collapse under Form 8621 and daily compounded interest. We start with the origin story: PFIC rules were crafted to shut down offshore shelters in 1986. The intent ta...
Finance rarely flips overnight, but 2026 comes close. Two permanent shifts collide: the UK ends the non‑dom era, and the U.S. OBBA cements the 2017 tax architecture, forcing Americans in Britain to rethink every choice around income, investments, pensions, and estate planning. We unpack why the UK’s new foreign income and gains relief can quietly increase your IRS bill, how the temporary repatriation facility at 12% becomes a tool for deliberate credit harvesting, and where timing mismatches ...
The UK recently rewired tax for global movers, and the clock starts the day you land. We unpack the Foreign Income and Gains regime, which replaces the non-dom concept with a hard four-year window during which foreign income and gains are exempt—no remittance gymnastics, no clean capital spreadsheets, and no offshore contortions. If you’ve been a non-UK resident for 10 straight tax years and arrive from April 2025, you can earn abroad and bring funds into the UK tax-free during your first fou...
Planning a move abroad and feeling good about the federal side? The real fight may be back home. We unpack how California, New York, and Virginia use domicile and statutory residency to claim your worldwide income long after you’ve crossed an ocean—and why keeping a “just-in-case” home can quietly unravel your whole plan. We start by demystifying the two tests that decide your fate: domicile, the intent-based anchor that sticks until you clearly replace it, and statutory residency, the cold ...
The ground has shifted under European residency, and the shortcuts are gone. We pull apart the new reality for Americans eyeing Portugal, Italy, and Spain, showing where mobility still works, where it doesn’t, and why structure now matters more than spend. You’ll hear a clear framework for the three pathways—investment, passive income, and active talent—and how each one shapes your rights, your tax exposure, and even your employer’s risk. We break down Portugal’s pivot to investment funds an...
Thinking about trading gray skies for Mediterranean light? Before you pack your bags for Spain, we unpack the exact moves that protect your portfolio, your cash flow, and your peace of mind. Spain taxes by residency, the U.S. taxes by citizenship, and the two systems collide in ways that can either cost you dearly or, with the right structure, work in your favor. We start with the moment Spain claims you: the 183‑day test, center of economic interests, and the family presumption. From there,...
It’s not a glitch. It’s the system. When U.S. citizenship-based taxation meets Switzerland’s residence-based rules, the result is a financial double lock that touches every account, fund, pension, and estate plan. We unpack how FATCA hardened bank compliance, why neo-banks shut out U.S. clients, and how the shift to a Model IGA will make transparency automatic and unavoidable. Then we map the roadblocks that turn simple investing into a maze: PFIC rules that punish European funds, and Swiss K...
We map the collision between U.S. citizenship‑based taxation and European investing, then give a clear, four‑pillar plan to build wealth abroad without triggering PFIC penalties or losing key tax benefits. The goal is simple: avoid the traps, use treaty shelters, and keep your strategy compliant. • Why citizenship‑based taxation conflicts with European “tax‑free” investing • How FBAR and FATCA create global visibility and enforcement • Why EU funds and UCITS ETFs trigger PFIC treatment • Wha...
We break down how FEIE and FTC truly work for expats and show how that single choice drives IRA eligibility, Roth versus traditional value, and long-term taxes. We end by stressing the employer match tax “time bomb” and how to plan around it. • FEIE erases income and often blocks IRA eligibility • FTC records income and enables IRA contributions • Roth 401k as first priority for most expats • Low-tax countries favor FEIE and Roth 401k focus • High-tax countries favor FTC and open Roth IRA op...
Planning a move to France with U.S. retirement accounts can feel like threading a needle in a storm—until you know exactly where the thread goes. We break down the cleanest path for dual-citizen couples to establish residency, safeguard 401(k) and IRA distributions from double taxation, and keep long-term investing on track without getting blindsided by brokerage restrictions or surprise social charges. First, we walk through the conjoint de Français visa and the three-month online validatio...
Thinking about moving to Dublin with a foot in both worlds? We walk through the easy part—immigration with dual U.S.–Irish citizenship—and then open the door to the financial maze most folks miss: how two tax systems collide over your retirement savings. The headline insights are clear and practical: the U.S.–Ireland Double Taxation Agreement provides a framework, but the saving clause keeps U.S. citizens within the IRS net. That’s why the foreign tax credit becomes your day-to-day tool, ofte...
A simple question—can a UK pension be rolled into a US IRA or 401(k)?—opens a door to some of the most punishing rules in cross‑border retirement planning. We walk through the hard stop that HMRC’s QROPS regime creates, why no US plans qualify, and how an “unauthorized payment” can unleash a 55% UK charge that vaporizes decades of savings. Then we pressure-test the popular third‑country workaround, showing how the 25% overseas transfer charge, US income tax, and foreign trust reporting can tu...
Two tax systems. One retirement account. If you’re a U.S. citizen living in Ireland, every withdrawal choice carries outsized consequences—and a few of them can quietly cost six figures. We break down the practical path to keeping more of your money while staying compliant on both sides of the Atlantic. We start with the core problem: the U.S. taxes based on citizenship while Ireland taxes residents on worldwide income. The treaty helps but the saving clause means the U.S. still wants its sl...
Thinking about trading a U.S. zip code for a German postcode? We break down the smartest routes to make that move real—what’s changed, what still trips people up, and how to land with confidence. From the Schengen 90-day entry window to the infamous Anmeldung loop, we lay out the sequence that actually works so you can avoid costly delays and circular paperwork. The big news shapes the whole journey: updated EU Blue Card rules with 2025 salary thresholds, plus a crucial opening for IT specia...
Wondering if Italy's tax incentives could be your ticket to la dolce vita? Today we unpack the four major tax schemes designed to attract specific types of new residents to Italy in 2024. The landscape has shifted dramatically. The popular Impatriates regime for skilled workers now offers a 50% tax exemption (60% with children) on income up to €600,000 for five years—but with much stricter qualification requirements than before. We break down the new educational prerequisites and the extende...
The nightmare of double taxation haunts countless Americans living abroad. That sinking feeling when tax season arrives—wondering if you'll truly have to pay taxes both in your new home and to the IRS—can overshadow the excitement of your international lifestyle. But there's powerful relief available that many expats don't fully understand or utilize effectively. This deep dive explores the two most important provisions designed specifically to alleviate this burden: the Foreign Earned Incom...
Ever wondered if those "simple" financial solutions actually create more problems than they solve? That's exactly what we discovered when examining Transfer on Death (TOD) and Payable on Death (POD) accounts for Americans living abroad. These accounts seem like perfect solutions - they transfer assets directly to beneficiaries and bypass probate. But cross borders, and suddenly their simplicity unravels dramatically. While technically valid under US state laws, they create a perfect storm of...
The financial complexities faced by American investors in Ireland represent a perfect storm of conflicting tax systems, hidden pitfalls, and reporting burdens. Caught between US citizenship-based taxation and Irish residency-based rules, many expatriates find themselves navigating a labyrinth of obligations that can significantly impact their investment returns. Our comprehensive discussion unravels the fundamental tension between these two systems and explores how they interact in real-worl...
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