Filing requirements

I've been getting a lot of question about filing requirements so here is the answer.

You must file a tax return if you earn the following amounts of income:

Self-employed, any age: $400
Children and Teens classified as a dependent: $5,700
Single, under 65: $9,350
Single, over 65: $10,750
Married, filing jointly, both spouses under 65: $18,700
Married, filing jointly, one spouse over 65: $19,850
Married, filing jointly, both spouses over 65: $20,900
Married, filing separately, any age: $3,650

The first question most delinquent expat taxpayers have is almost always “How many years of US expat taxes do I need to file?” Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question as it really depends on the specific situation. Technically, the IRS asks that you file for all years that your income was over the thresholds, but usually six to eight years will suffice.

For the FBAR form 8938 this exception exists (straight from the IRS form instructions):

Exception if no income tax return required.

If you do not have to file an income tax return for the tax year, you do not have to file Form 8938, even if the value of your specified foreign financial assets is more than the appropriate reporting threshold.

There you have it.