US tax return for individuals (Form 1040 and 1040-NR)
Add an ITIN application for an extra $600 if you need one.
ITIN Express
Your ITIN, without waiting for your first tax return. With a US residential address: $3,700.
US Bank Account Opening
ITIN Express, a residential address for twelve months, your own US bank account and guidance to your first credit card.
IRS Streamlined Filing
Catch up on missed years when the failure to file was not willful.
Behind all the services above sits the same engagement: we take care of your US tax obligations as an individual. For US citizens and green card holders living in Europe, for people on a US visa and for anyone with income taxable in the US. In English, with a dedicated contact, for a fee agreed before you engage us.
You'll find the individual items in the cards at the top of this page. If you also do business in the US, that belongs on the page for companies; the two often overlap, and we handle both under one roof.
What ongoing support covers
When DIY stops working
A simple situation you can file yourself, and we'll tell you so rather than sell you an engagement you don't need. If you live in the US as an employee with one income, no foreign accounts and no holdings, standard software will get you a long way.
It's a different story as soon as at least one of these applies:
Your family isn't automatically affected
The question comes up in almost every first consultation, usually right at the end: am I dragging my family into this? The answer is almost always reassuring.
There are still points of contact, and we raise them ourselves: joint accounts can fall under the FBAR, your choice of filing status can include your spouse or deliberately keep them out, and children with dual citizenship grow into obligations of their own. These are easy to solve if you know about them, and unpleasant surprises if you don't.
Catching up on missed years
If you've missed years, that's a separate matter with its own procedure, not part of ongoing support. Streamlined Filing lets you catch up when the failure was not willful, generally without penalties. What to watch out for and who qualifies is covered in our Streamlined Filing guide, which describes the whole process.
For context, one sentence is enough here: we handle the catch-up and then, if you like, the years that follow.
How we align the two tax systems
For someone living outside the US, the real work in a US return isn't filling it in. It's presenting the same income in two systems so that you don't end up paying twice. There are several tools for this, and which one applies depends on your situation:
Foreign earned income exclusion
Exempts wages from US tax up to a cap adjusted every year, if you meet the residence or presence requirements.
Foreign tax credit
Works best where the tax burden at home is higher than in the US.
Tax treaty rules
For example for pensions, social security benefits and certain investment income.
Choosing between these routes is no formality: some choices bind you for future years and can't simply be switched every year. So we don't make that call in passing while filling in forms; we discuss it with you and, where it makes sense, with your accountant at home. And a treaty doesn't spare you a single return. It makes sure you don't pay twice in the end, provided both sides have been filed and match.
If you want to give up your green card or citizenship
This is a separate engagement, and the case where preparation pays off most. Giving up your status has no retroactive tax effect: if you've missed years, you generally need to catch up on them first, or leaving becomes expensive. On top of that comes a final return for the year you expatriate, and in some cases an exit tax applies to your assets.
The consulate appointment is the smaller hurdle. The bigger one is the tax preparation, which takes several months depending on your situation. If you're considering this step, talk to us a year ahead, not three weeks ahead.
The US State Department lowered the fee effective April 13, 2026; you'll find the details in our news item on it.
What our support costs
For recurring work we charge flat fees, so you know what a year costs before you engage us. A return for a clear-cut situation can be priced in advance, and that is how we bill it.
Where the scope can't be estimated honestly up front, such as several missed years or a planned renunciation of citizenship, we start with a scoping review: we go through your case and tell you the workload, and the fee for this review is credited toward the engagement that follows. If you don't engage us, it is not refunded. Current rates are listed in our fee overview. We'd rather name the price too early than too late.
What happens over the year
We reach out to you ahead of each of these deadlines. That's the practical difference from an arrangement where you have to remember that you should hire someone.
What we need from you
To get started, we need very little:
If you're unsure what's relevant, tell us too much rather than too little. Sorting it out is our job.
How working with us works
You get one dedicated contact who knows your case, not a rotating team. That sounds obvious, but in this field it isn't: anyone who has tried explaining the same history to a big American provider for the third time knows why we put this first.
The process is always the same. You order the service directly on its page or engage us through our engagement page. We then open your file, check which years are outstanding, review your documents and come back with questions, bundled rather than one at a time. You receive the draft return with a short explanation of which elections we made and why. We only file once you've approved it. You get the filing confirmation and a complete set of documents for your records.
Questions along the way are part of the engagement and aren't billed separately. If something happens during the year that matters for tax, a move, a new bank account, an inheritance, a stake in a company, the right time to call is when it happens, not March of the following year.
Why an internationally focused firm
You've probably seen it yourself: an American accountant knows US law and rarely cares what follows from it in your home country. Your accountant at home knows national law and rarely looks beyond it. If you're taxable in two countries, you're stuck in between.
Since 2008, Mount Bonnell Advisors has worked exclusively with internationally active clients, many of them from Europe. For you, that has a practical effect: you explain your case once, in English, and don't have to translate it between two legal systems yourself. We coordinate with your accountant at home, so both sides end up with the same number.
FBAR FAQ (FinCEN Form 114)
Who has to file an FBAR?
Every US person with a financial interest in, or signature authority over, financial accounts outside the US, once the combined value of those accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point during the calendar year. A US person means US citizens, green card holders and anyone who is a US tax resident, as well as US companies, trusts and estates. So if you're a European living in the US, your old checking account, your investment account and the joint account with your spouse back home all count, just like an account you only hold a power of attorney over.
Does the $10,000 threshold apply per account?
No, it applies to the total of all accounts outside the US. Three accounts with a peak balance of $4,000 each trigger the requirement, and then all three must be reported, not just the largest. What counts is the highest balance during the year, converted into US dollars. Whether the accounts earned anything doesn't matter: the FBAR is purely a report, not a tax.
When is the FBAR due and where is it filed?
On April 15 of the following year, the same date as the US tax return, but separately: the FBAR goes electronically to FinCEN, not to the IRS. If you miss April 15, FinCEN automatically extends it to October 15, no request needed. With our ongoing support, your FBAR runs on the same annual cycle as your tax return.
What are the penalties for a missing FBAR?
FinCEN distinguishes between non-willful and willful violations. Non-willful: up to $16,536 per violation, meaning per unfiled report, not per account. Willful: up to $165,353 or 50 percent of the account balance at the time of the violation, whichever is higher, and criminal prosecution may follow. These are the inflation-adjusted maximums from the FinCEN rule of January 17, 2025, which still apply in 2026 in the absence of a new adjustment. If you didn't know about the requirement and owe no back taxes, you can usually file missing FBARs late before the authorities ask, see Catching up on missed years.
What does the firm handle for my FBAR?
The whole process: we work out with you which accounts are reportable (including powers of attorney, joint accounts and portfolios), determine and convert the annual peak balances, prepare the FBAR and file it electronically with FinCEN. We keep track of the deadline. If reports from earlier years are missing, we discuss the Streamlined procedure or a simple late filing with you. If you first want to know whether this affects you at all, book a consultation.