Americans in Italy: How to vote from abroad and getting professional help with taxes

Welcome to our regular look at everything you need to know about life in Italy for The Local’s readers from the US. This newsletter is published monthly and you can receive it directly to your inbox before we publish by going to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or following the instructions in the newsletter box below.

As the primaries start up across the United States, Americans in Europe are taking steps to make sure they're set up to vote in the 2024 presidential elections.

All registered US citizens can vote in the November 5th election, but to vote in the primaries, you'll need to find out whether you're eligible for an absentee ballot for the state where you last lived in the US.

Each state's rules and processes are slightly different, but luckily there are plenty of groups that offer help to Americans abroad in getting registered, such as the nonpartisan US Vote Foundation.

When it comes to requesting an absentee ballot, the earlier the better: you can download the full voting calendar for 2024/2025.

How Americans in Europe can vote in the US primary elections

More and more Americans living abroad have renounced their US citizenship over the past 10 years.

That's not just because the US is one of the only countries to tax on the basis of citizenship rather than residence, but because after the passage of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act in 2010, many non-US financial institutions closed their doors to US clients.

“FATCA effectively turned all of the world’s non-US banks and financial institutions into agents of the US Internal Revenue Service,” one Europe-based American told The Local.

Now, some US citizens are campaigning to put an end to citizenship-based taxation.

"We believe that the key concerns of Americans who choose to live abroad can be best addressed by severing citizenship from tax residency," said Doris Speer, president of the Association of Americans Resident Overseas.

Why more and more Americans in Europe are renouncing their US citizenship

In the meantime, many Americans living in Italy who've held on to their citizenship have to navigate filing annual tax returns in two different countries.

Readers in this situation often tell us they turn to professionals ensure they comply with the rules and aren't overcharged. But is this a service worth paying hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars for?

"Yes, IF they know what they’re doing!" said one reader.

"Hire tax professionals in both countries, your life will be much easier," says Eija Trees in Collepasso.

William Searles in Puglia says he fills out his own forms using TurboTax "as our financial situation is simple," but adds that he would seek out professional help "if we had more complex issues."

Americans in Italy: Is it worth paying for professional help with your taxes?

Have your say: If you'd like to share your opinion or tell us about an experience you've had while living in Italy, please leave a comment below this article or get in touch by email.

And if you have any advice for other American readers who are considering moving to Italy, or questions of your own, you can add them to our ongoing survey here.

Thanks for reading and please get in touch with us by email if you have any feedback on this newsletter.