One team, both tax systems
US-UK Accountants for Cross-Border Americans
US-UK accountants who prepare your Form 1040 and your UK Self Assessment together — one team, one coordinated position, no double taxation and no missed filings.
Most accountants work in one country. If you are American and living in Britain, that is the problem: you owe returns to both the IRS and HMRC, and figures prepared in isolation rarely agree. US-UK accountants prepare both sides together, so your credits, exchange rates and timing match.
TaxYork files your US federal return, FBAR and FATCA disclosures alongside your UK Self Assessment. We apply the Foreign Tax Credit so tax paid to HMRC offsets your US bill, take treaty positions on pensions and investments, and handle the reporting that trips up American company owners and investors in the UK.
Whether you are employed, self-employed, a landlord or a company director, one team owns the whole picture — and quotes you a fixed fee before any work begins.
What our US-UK accountants prepare
US & UK Returns
Form 1040 and UK Self Assessment prepared as one position, with credits and timing aligned.
US tax returnsFBAR & FATCA
FinCEN 114 and Form 8938 for your UK bank, brokerage and pension accounts.
FBAR & FATCAIRS Streamlined Filing
Catch up on missed US returns penalty-free through the Streamlined programme.
Catch up on filingTreaty Optimisation
The US-UK treaty applied to pensions, dividends, gains and remittances.
Treaty planningCross-Border Planning
Elections and structure modelled before you commit, for founders and investors.
Cross-border planningFree Calculators
Estimate your US and UK position in seconds before you get in touch.
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Two returns, one team, one figure. When both sides are prepared together, your US and UK tax finally reconcile.
Talk to usWhy two separate accountants leave money on the table
The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April; the US runs on the calendar year. When a UK-only accountant finalises your Self Assessment in isolation and a separate US preparer converts those figures months later, nobody controls how the two line up — and the Foreign Tax Credit only works cleanly when one team does. That is the whole case for US-UK accountants.
Timing is where it bites. UK payments on account can drop close to two years of UK tax into a single US tax year, spiking your Foreign Tax Credit one year and starving it the next. Left unmanaged, that mismatch can leave real UK tax with no US credit to claim it against.
Exchange rates compound the problem. HMRC, the IRS and the US Treasury each publish different sterling rates, and the figure you use changes your credit and your FBAR totals. Applying them consistently across both returns is exactly the coordination a single cross-border team provides.
What a coordinated US-UK filing includes
On the US side we prepare Form 1040 with the expat schedules, your FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) covering UK bank, investment and pension accounts, and Form 8938 (FATCA) where you cross the thresholds — which are higher for Americans living abroad than for those in the States.
On the UK side we prepare the SA100 Self Assessment return with the SA106 foreign pages, capturing your UK employment, self-employment, property and investment income. Where the two systems disagree on who taxes what, we take documented treaty positions on Form 8833 rather than leaving income taxed twice.
The point of putting both under one roof is simple: your credits, exchange rates, pension treatment and elections are decided once, together, instead of two firms producing numbers that never quite reconcile.
The reporting that catches American owners and investors
Own a UK limited company? A US shareholder usually has to file Form 5471, and the company’s profits can be taxed in the US under the GILTI rules before a single pound is distributed to you. Miss the form and the penalties start at $10,000.
Hold UK funds, investment trusts or an ISA? To the IRS these are almost always PFICs — taxed under a punitive default regime with Form 8621 reporting, and the ISA’s UK tax-free status counts for nothing. These are precisely the areas a UK-only accountant, through no fault of their own, does not look at.
Whether you are employed, self-employed, a landlord or a company director, US-UK accountants own the whole picture — and quote a fixed fee before any work begins.
US-UK accountants vs a UK-only accountant
A UK accountant can file your Self Assessment beautifully — and still leave your US obligations completely unmet. Here is what changes when one team handles both.
| What you get | US-UK accountants | UK-only accountant |
|---|---|---|
| Files your US Form 1040 | ||
| FBAR & FATCA (8938) reporting | ||
| PFIC treatment of UK funds & ISAs | ||
| Form 5471 / GILTI for UK companies | ||
| Applies the US-UK tax treaty | ||
| Prepares UK Self Assessment | ||
| One reconciled cross-border figure |
Why work with US-UK accountants
Two returns, one figure
Both sides prepared together, so your US and UK numbers reconcile instead of clashing.
Cross-border only
We specialise in the US-UK corridor — FBAR, FATCA, PFIC, treaty positions and Streamlined filing are routine here.
Owners and investors welcome
We handle Form 5471, GILTI, PFIC funds and rental portfolios that generalist firms avoid.
Fixed, up-front fees
A clear price after a short review, so there are no billing surprises.
How it works
Consultation
We review your income, accounts and filing history on both sides.
Fixed quote
A single fixed fee covering your US and UK filings.
Preparation
Both returns prepared together with the right credits and treaty positions.
File & plan
We file and set out the moves that reduce next year’s combined bill.
Frequently asked questions
What are US-UK accountants?
US-UK accountants prepare both American and British tax returns for the same client. For a US citizen living in Britain that means Form 1040, FBAR and FATCA on the US side and Self Assessment on the UK side, filed as one coordinated position so credits and timing match across both countries.
Do I need US-UK accountants or just a UK accountant?
If you are a US citizen or green card holder, a UK-only accountant cannot file your US return and will miss FBAR, FATCA and PFIC reporting on UK funds. US-UK accountants handle both systems, which is what keeps you compliant with the IRS and HMRC at the same time.
Can US-UK accountants file both returns together?
Yes — that is the point. When one team prepares both returns, the Foreign Tax Credit, exchange rates, pension treatment and treaty positions all line up, instead of two separate accountants producing figures that conflict.
Do US-UK accountants handle self-employed and company owners?
Yes. We prepare UK Self Assessment and US Schedule C or company filings, and we handle the extra US forms that catch owners out, such as Form 5471 for a controlled foreign company and the GILTI rules.
How do US-UK accountants stop me being taxed twice?
By applying the US-UK tax treaty and the Foreign Tax Credit correctly. Tax paid in one country is generally credited against the other, and specific treaty articles decide which country taxes pensions, dividends and gains first.
What does it cost to use US-UK accountants?
We quote a fixed fee up front once we understand your income and accounts, so you know the cost before any work starts. Book a short consultation for a clear number.
Do US-UK accountants handle UK pensions?
Yes. UK workplace and personal pensions are covered on both returns, and the US-UK treaty decides when the growth and any withdrawals are taxable in each country. The 25% UK tax-free lump sum, in particular, is not automatically tax-free to the IRS, so it needs handling carefully rather than assuming the UK treatment carries over.
What if I have UK ISAs or investment funds?
UK ISAs, OEICs and investment trusts are almost always treated by the IRS as PFICs, which carry a punitive default tax regime and Form 8621 reporting — and the ISA wrapper means nothing to the US. A UK-only accountant will not flag this; US-UK accountants report it correctly and use QEF or mark-to-market elections where they help.
Can you help if I am years behind on US filing?
Yes. Most Americans who have fallen behind qualify for the IRS Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures — three years of returns and six years of FBARs, with penalties typically waived for non-wilful non-compliance. We prepare the whole submission alongside your current UK return.
How do you make sure my US and UK figures actually match?
One team prepares both returns using consistent exchange rates and timing. HMRC, the IRS and the US Treasury each publish different sterling rates, and UK payments on account can bunch close to two years of UK tax into a single US year — coordination we plan around so your Foreign Tax Credit is not wasted.
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Whether you need help with IRS Streamlined filings, annual US tax returns, or cross-border tax planning — our team is here for you.
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