Guides

How to claim a parent living abroad as a dependent

A parent in Mexico or Canada can be a dependent worth the $500 credit if they pass four IRS tests — income under $5,300, over-half support, ITIN, and residency. How it works in 2026.

FBAR vs FATCA: do you have to report foreign accounts?

Over $10,000 abroad means an FBAR; Form 8938 adds higher thresholds by residence and status. The two rules, the deadlines, and the penalties for 2026.

N-400 eligibility: when can you apply for US citizenship?

Continuous residence (5 or 3 years), physical presence (913/548 days), the 90-day early-filing rule, and how trips abroad can reset your clock. Explained for 2026.

The Venmo "$600 tax" myth: what's actually taxable in 2026

The $600 1099-K rule was repealed — the threshold is back to $20,000 and 200 transactions. And money from friends was never taxable. The real rule for payment apps.

How much does the K-1 fiancé visa cost in 2026?

I-129F $675, K-visa $265, medical exam, and the I-485 green card $1,440 — with the work permit and travel document free. A clear breakdown, about $2,380 total.

Menaje de Casa to Mexico: the complete 2026 guide

Everything on bringing your household goods to Mexico duty-free in 2026: who qualifies, what counts, what's excluded, the consular certificate, and the free…

Selling a house in Mexico while living in the US: the 2026 tax

The real 2026 tax when a US resident sells property in Mexico: why the casa-habitación exemption may not apply, the 25% vs 35% non-resident options, and how…

Did you lose your Afore by emigrating? No — here's how to claim it

No, you didn't lose your Afore by moving to the US. How to locate and claim your Mexican retirement account from abroad in 2026 — the regimes, the 2026…

How much do you need to earn to sponsor your spouse? (I-864)

The 2026 income requirement for the I-864 Affidavit of Support, how household size is counted, and the three fixes if you fall short — assets, household…

The new 1% remittance tax (2026): who pays, who doesn't

Since January 2026 the US charges a 1% excise tax on some remittances. It applies only if you pay with cash, a money order or a cashier's check — paying…

How much does a marriage green card cost in 2026?

The real 2026 cost of a marriage green card, both paths: adjustment of status ($2,115 mandatory, $3,005 with work + travel permits) and consular processing…

Apostille & certified translation: cost and how it works

What an apostille is, when you need a certified translation, and what both cost in 2026 for a visa or immigration case — by country and document.

The Schengen 90/180 rule, explained (2026)

How border control really counts your days — the rolling 180-day window, why entry and exit days both count, what the EES changed, and the mistakes that get travellers banned.

Spain visa income requirements 2026, explained

What you really need to earn for a non-lucrative or digital nomad visa — the IPREM and SMI behind the thresholds, the per-family additions, the savings route, and what gets applications refused.

The US Substantial Presence Test, explained (2026)

How the IRS weighted-day formula decides if you're a US tax resident — the 31-and-183 count, days that don't count, exempt students and teachers, and the closer-connection escape hatch.

How are bonuses taxed? The 22% myth, explained (2026)

Bonuses aren't taxed at a higher rate — it's a myth. The flat 22% supplemental withholding, FICA, why 30–40% comes out, and how you get some back at filing.

Why do I owe taxes on my RSUs? The 22% trap (2026)

RSUs are withheld at a flat 22% at vesting — but if your bracket is 32–37%, that's too low and you owe the gap at filing. How RSU tax works, sell-to-cover, and how to avoid the April surprise.

How is ESPP taxed? Qualifying vs disqualifying (2026)

The ESPP discount isn't free money — it's ordinary income when you sell, usually not withheld. Qualifying vs disqualifying dispositions, the grant-date 'lesser of' rule, Form 3922, and avoiding the surprise.

The ISO/AMT trap, explained (2026)

Exercising and holding ISOs owes no regular tax — but the paper gain triggers AMT, so you can owe a big bill with no shares sold. The 2026 AMT math (post-OBBB 50% phaseout), how to avoid the trap, and the Minimum Tax Credit.

Over-contributed to your 401(k)? The two-jobs trap (2026)

With two jobs, each 401(k) only tracks its own limit — so your combined deferrals can pass the $24,500 cap and get taxed twice. How the excess-deferral trap works, the April 15 fix, and what doesn't count.

The HSA triple tax break, explained (2026)

An HSA isn't use-it-or-lose-it — that's an FSA. It rolls over, it's portable, and it's the only triple-tax-advantaged account. The 2026 limits, the retirement trick, and the Medicare catch.

The 0% capital gains bracket, explained (2026)

Capital gains aren't always taxed — there's a 0% federal bracket. How much you can realize tax-free in 2026, how the stacking works, tax-gain harvesting, and the no-wash-sale-on-gains trick.

Mexico vs Spain tax residency: the 183-day myth (2026)

Mexico has no day-count test (home + center of vital interests); Spain makes you resident on days OR economic base OR family. How each country decides, the Beckham option, and the treaty tie-breaker.

Colombian tax residency: the 183-day rolling window (2026)

Colombia's rule is 184+ days in any rolling 365-day window (not the calendar year), with a cross-year twist — plus the income/assets/family criteria for nationals and the domicile carve-out.

Do you owe tax on family money? Gifts & Form 3520 (2026)

Gifts aren't taxable income to the recipient — ever. The giver rarely owes gift tax either. But a US person receiving over $100,000 from abroad must file Form 3520 (25% penalty if skipped).

Filing taxes with an ITIN in 2026: what you can claim

'ITIN filers get nothing back' is false. What an ITIN filer can actually claim in 2026 — your refund, the $500 Credit for Other Dependents, California's…

No tax on tips & overtime: what you'll really save

The 2026 'no tax on tips and overtime' deductions, explained plainly: what qualifies, the caps ($25,000 tips / $12,500 overtime), why only the overtime…

Aguinaldo in Mexico 2026: how much you're owed and when

How the aguinaldo works in 2026: the legal minimum of 15 days' salary, how it's prorated even if you quit, what's exempt from ISR, and the December 20 legal…

US take-home pay in 2026: what actually lands in your check

How US take-home pay works in 2026: the 2026 standard deduction and brackets, Social Security and Medicare, and state tax — and why the same salary leaves…

Is Social Security tax-free in 2026? The honest answer

No, Social Security is not tax-free in 2026. How much of your benefits is really taxable under the combined-income rules, what the new $6,000 senior…

Can you write off your car payment in 2026? The real rule

No, you can't deduct your car payment — but maybe the interest. The 2025–2028 car-loan interest deduction explained: new US-assembled vehicles only,…

1099 self-employment tax in 2026: what you really owe

Being 1099 isn't tax-free. The 15.3% self-employment tax, how it's calculated on 92.35% of your net profit, the half-SE deduction, and your four quarterly…

Spain autónomo quota 2026: what you'll really pay

The flat autónomo fee is gone. How Spain's 2026 income-based RETA quota works, the €80/month tarifa plana for new autónomos, and how your bracket is set by…

Finiquito vs liquidación in Mexico 2026: what you're owed

The difference between finiquito and liquidación under Mexico's Ley Federal del Trabajo — what you're owed if you resign vs. if you're fired without cause,…

US tax refund in 2026: will you get money back or owe?

How a US tax refund really works: it's your withholding minus your actual tax after credits. Why a big refund isn't free money, what to do if you owe, and…

Child Tax Credit & EITC in 2026: what you can claim

The 2026 Child Tax Credit (up to $2,200 per child, up to $1,700 refundable), the EITC, and the $500 Credit for Other Dependents — plus exactly what changed…

Mexico net salary 2026: how much lands after ISR and IMSS

How your Mexican take-home pay is calculated in 2026: ISR under the SAT tables, IMSS worker contributions, and the employment subsidy — with the verified…

Insurance for your visa in 2026: which policies actually qualify

What insurance each visa really requires: the €30,000 Schengen minimum, why travel insurance fails Spain's residency visas (you need a no-copay Spanish…

Relocation budget 2026: the full cost of moving abroad

What an international move really costs, itemized by corridor — US↔Colombia, US↔Mexico, Mexico/Colombia↔Spain — from shipping and flights to visas, deposits…

International moving cost 2026: sea vs air, by corridor

What it costs to ship your belongings abroad in 2026: sea freight vs air, how home size and corridor set the price, and why the honest range beats a quote-wall.

Colombia visa income requirements 2026: do you qualify?

How Colombia's 2026 visa income thresholds work — digital nomad, pensioner (M), rentista and worker — expressed as multiples of the Colombian minimum wage,…

Relocating with a dog or cat 2026: rules by country pair

What it takes to move a dog or cat internationally in 2026: microchip, rabies vaccine, the rabies titer test some countries require, health certificates and…

Equivalent salary: what you'd need in another city

How to find the salary you'd need in City B to keep the same lifestyle you have in City A, using cost-of-living data — the honest way to compare a job offer…

Mexico's 40-hour workweek 2026: the law, the calendar, your overtime

Mexico's 40-hour workweek is enacted law, phasing in 48→40 hours from 2027 to 2030. What's law vs. myth, why your pay is protected, and how overtime is…

Cashing out a 401(k) when moving back to Mexico: what you really lose

A one-time 401(k) cash-out can lose 30–40% before it ever leaves the US — withholding plus a 10% early penalty. What's fixed, what depends on you, and why…

Do I still have to file US taxes if I live abroad? The 2026 FEIE, honestly

Living in Mexico or Spain doesn't end your US taxes. What the $132,900 exclusion covers, why it doesn't erase self-employment tax, and the Mexico-vs-Spain…

Does a foreign pension reduce your US Social Security? Not anymore

The WEP and GPO were repealed — a Mexican (IMSS), Spanish or government pension no longer cuts your US Social Security since Jan 2024, and SSA owes back pay…