Best Tax Software for US Expats (2026): We Checked Who Actually Files Form 2555, 1116 & FBAR

Short answer: an expat return isn't a normal return, and most "best tax software" lists ignore the four things that decide it: Form 2555 (FEIE), Form 1116 (FTC), FBAR e-filing and a non-resident-alien spouse. On those criteria, MyExpatTaxes ($115, or $175 with FBAR + FATCA included) is the best DIY pick, with Expatfile (~$119) close behind. TurboTax and TaxAct can file the IRS forms but cannot file your FBAR. And two budget brands you'll see recommended elsewhere — E-file.com and Liberty Tax online — wouldn't confirm Form 2555 support at all, so we can't recommend them for expats.

What must tax software handle for an American abroad?

Five things, and the brand on the box doesn't tell you which are covered. Before paying for any product, check it supports the specific machinery of an expat return:

• Form 2555 — the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (up to $130,000 for 2025, $132,900 for 2026). Excluded from nearly every free tier.
• Form 1116 — the Foreign Tax Credit, the better election in high-tax countries (compare both on your numbers).
• Form 8938 — FATCA asset reporting ($200,000+ year-end for singles abroad).
• FBAR (FinCEN 114) — filed with FinCEN, not the IRS, when foreign accounts top $10,000 combined. Most mainstream software simply can't file it.
• NRA spouse handling — filing "married filing separately" with a non-resident-alien spouse who has no SSN breaks many mainstream products.

Best tax software for US expats, compared (June 2026)

Every cell below was checked against the vendor's own pages this month — support documents and published pricing, linked per row. "No" means the vendor states it; "unconfirmed" means we searched their official documentation and couldn't find product-level support.

Disclosure: we currently have no affiliate relationship with any tax software on this page — no link here pays us. Rankings come from the form-support verification above. If that ever changes, this page and our affiliate disclosure will say so explicitly.

Which should you pick?

Match the product to your return, not the ad budget. Four situations cover almost everyone:

🥇 Most expats: MyExpatTaxes ($115–$175)

Built entirely around the expat workflow: Form 2555 and 1116 are the default path, not buried options, the $175 plan bundles FBAR and Form 8938, and it's the only DIY product that confirms filing with a non-resident-alien spouse without an SSN or ITIN — the single most common blocker for Americans married abroad. Expatfile (~$119 flat, FBAR ~$59 extra) is the comparable alternative with a slicker e-file flow; its published pages don't address the NRA-spouse case, so couples should default to MyExpatTaxes.

🇺🇸 You want a mainstream brand: TurboTax — knowing its limit

TurboTax handles Form 2555 from Deluxe up and interviews well for 1116 and 8938. Its hard limit: it does not file FBARs and won't remind you — Intuit's own support pages send you to FinCEN. Pricing is dynamic (roughly $49–$129 federal plus ~$39/state at June 2026 checkout); verify the tier requirement before paying, since Free Edition excludes Form 2555.

💸 Simple return, lowest verified price: TaxAct Premier or H&R Block Premium

Both confirm Form 2555/1116/8938 support in writing — TaxAct Premier at $99.99 federal (June 2026; TaxAct raises prices late-season) and H&R Block Premium from $99. H&R Block has one unique advantage among the big brands: a standalone FBAR filing service from $49, so you can keep brand-name software and get the FinCEN filing done.

🧾 You'd rather hand it off: Taxes for Expats vs Greenback

Both are human-prepared by CPAs/EAs at flat fees: Taxes for Expats at $450 (+$85 FBAR) is the value pick for standard situations; Greenback at $565 (+$125 FBAR) earns its premium on complex cases — dual-status years, the 6013(g) election for an NRA spouse, streamlined catch-up filings. If you're behind on multiple years, both run streamlined-procedure packages (TFX $1,450; MyExpatTaxes $875).

Why is the FBAR the trap in every "best software" list?

Because it isn't a tax form. The FBAR goes to FinCEN on Form 114, outside the IRS e-file system entirely — which is why TurboTax and TaxAct, whose pipelines end at the IRS, can't file it. Miss it and the current inflation-adjusted civil penalty runs up to $16,536 per non-willful violation. Three clean ways to handle it:

1. File it yourself, free, on FinCEN's BSA e-filing system — ~20 minutes if you have your account maximums.
2. Bundle it: MyExpatTaxes' $175 plan includes it; Expatfile adds it for ~$59.
3. Add it on: H&R Block from $49, Taxes for Expats $85, Greenback $125.

What about E-file.com and Liberty Tax?

We tried to verify them and couldn't — so they're off our list this year. E-file.com's site explains what Form 2555 is but nowhere states the software prepares or e-files it, and no federal forms list is published. Liberty Tax's online product pages publish plan tiers but no federal forms list either. Cheap is attractive; a return that silently omits the exclusion that saves you five figures is not. If either vendor confirms support in writing, we'll re-test and update this page.

The 2026 deadlines your software won't all warn you about

You're inside the expat window right now. For tax-year-2025 returns, Americans abroad get the automatic extension to June 15, 2026 — and can push filing to October 15 with Form 4868 submitted by June 15. Two catches: interest has run on any unpaid tax since April 15, and the FBAR follows its own calendar (due April 15, auto-extended to October 15). If June 15 is too close, file the 4868 today and do the return properly.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Sources

• IRS: Form 2555 · Form 1116 · June 15 automatic extension
• FinCEN: FBAR requirements · BSA e-filing system
• Vendors (checked June 10, 2026): MyExpatTaxes pricing · Expatfile pricing · TurboTax Form 2555 support · TaxAct FEIE support · H&R Block expat services · TFX fees · Greenback services