Most people who move to Miami become U.S. tax residents in their first or second calendar year, and from that moment the IRS expects a return that includes income from everywhere, not only from the U.S. The rules are not hard once laid out, but the first year has a few traps. Here is what to expect.
When you become a tax resident
You are a U.S. tax resident for the year if you hold a green card at any point in it, or if you pass the substantial presence test: at least 31 days in the U.S. this year, and 183 days counting all of this year’s days, one third of last year’s and one sixth of the year before. Someone who arrives in July and stays normally passes the test the following year, and may be a “dual-status” taxpayer in the year of arrival: non-resident for the months before, resident after. Certain visa holders, such as students on F or J visas, are exempt from counting days for a period.
What income goes on the return
Once you are a resident, all of it: your U.S. salary or business, and also rental income from the apartment you kept at home, interest from your bank there, dividends, a pension, and the sale of property abroad. Tax paid to your home country on that income usually counts as a credit against U.S. tax on the same income (Form 1116), so double taxation is the exception, not the rule, but the income still has to be reported.
The foreign account report
If the total value of your accounts outside the U.S. exceeded $10,000 at any moment in the year, you must file the FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) electronically by April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15. It is a report, not a tax, and the penalties for ignoring it are far larger than any tax involved. A second form, Form 8938, is attached to the return when foreign assets exceed higher thresholds ($50,000 at year-end for a single filer living in the U.S.).
Family who stayed behind
A spouse or child abroad can appear on your return only with a taxpayer number. If they are not eligible for a Social Security number, they apply for an ITIN with Form W-7 attached to your return, with a passport or other accepted documents. Claiming a dependent abroad is limited: the child must generally be a U.S. citizen, national or resident, or a resident of Mexico or Canada. We check which credits actually apply before adding anyone to the return.
What to bring to the first appointment
- Your date of arrival and visa or green-card status, and the days spent in the U.S. in the last three years.
- U.S. income forms: W-2, 1099s, or your business records.
- Foreign income: rental statements, bank interest, pension or dividend statements, and proof of tax paid abroad.
- Year-end balances and the highest balance of each foreign account.
- Passports and birth dates for everyone who will be on the return.
Two mistakes to avoid
Leaving foreign income off the return because “it was already taxed there”: the credit handles that, omission does not. And assuming the first year is simple: dual-status returns, the FBAR and ITIN applications make the arrival year the most complex one. Get it right once and the following years are routine.
The arrival year is the complicated one. A dual-status return, the FBAR and ITIN applications are all first-year tasks; after that, your return looks like anyone else’s.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to file taxes if I just moved to the United States?
If you held a green card or met the substantial presence test (roughly 183 days counted over three years, with at least 31 this year), you file as a resident and report worldwide income. In the year of arrival you may be dual-status: non-resident before arrival, resident after.
Do I have to report income from my home country?
Yes, once you are a U.S. tax resident. Rental income, interest, dividends, pensions and property sales abroad are all reported. Tax paid in the other country usually becomes a credit on Form 1116, so the same income is rarely taxed twice.
What is the FBAR and do I need to file it?
The FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is an annual report of foreign financial accounts, required when their combined value exceeded $10,000 at any point in the year. It is filed electronically by April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15, separately from the tax return.
Can I include my spouse or children who live abroad?
Only with a taxpayer number: a Social Security number or an ITIN requested with Form W-7. A dependent abroad generally must be a U.S. citizen, national or resident, or a resident of Mexico or Canada, so we check eligibility first.
General information, not advice for your situation. Rules change; talk to us before acting.
We prepare first-year returns for newcomers every season, in Spanish or English, and we will tell you exactly what to bring.
Related service: Tax Preparation
By Martha Otalora · Founder & CEO, MO Accounting Services. Last reviewed October 2026.
