Atamatax

Atamatax: U.S. tax software for expats

Atamatax is a software tool focused on tax filing for U.S. citizens and residents living abroad. Its approach is to start from the user's actual situation — for example, never having filed, having received a bank request for U.S. tax details, holding foreign funds, owning part of a foreign company, or having inherited assets — and show which obligations may apply, what needs attention, and what the next step would be. The on-screen result is free and is generated before any payment.

Situation-based diagnosis and obligation detection

The system classifies each filing area as likely, possible, or needs review, and indicates the specific fact that would resolve the classification. Among the obligations it covers are the federal income tax return (Form 1040), FBAR (FinCEN Form 114), PFIC reporting (Form 8621), and FATCA Form 8938. The engine shows the source of each classification, its confidence level, and the assumptions that are not yet confirmed. The tool does not issue legal determinations: it flags potential obligations and leaves judgment calls to an outside advisor.

Portfolio and PFIC analysis

A specific part of the service is dedicated to non-U.S. funds. Atamatax notes that non-U.S. funds are usually considered PFICs by the IRS, and that each one carries its own Form 8621. The free portfolio scan reviews each holding by ticker or ISIN, shows the source and the assumption behind each call, checks the FBAR and Form 8938 thresholds, and names the package that covers the result. The system takes the fund's legal domicile from its record, does not assume any tax election on the holdings, and leaves data such as the issuer's annual PFIC facts, the availability of QEF information, or the history of prior-year elections pending confirmation. Holdings can be imported from a brokerage CSV file.

Self-serve packages per tax year

The company offers self-serve software packages, each for a single tax year. The user reviews, signs, and files the return on their own with the included instructions. The catalog shows four tiers: CPA Export, with up to 25 fund reviews, for $199; Simple, without PFIC, for $299; PFIC Portfolio, with up to 25 Form 8621s, for $499; and Complex, with tax treaty or expatriation screening, for $799. The package calculates the accepted figures, assigns them to IRS forms and lines, and lists every assumption.

Catch-up service for prior years

For those with multiple unfiled years, Atamatax offers a catch-up service with a written scope and a fixed price before payment. The range indicated on the site is $1,590 to $2,990 or more, and includes up to three delinquent federal returns and up to six years of FBAR. The service includes preparation of the Streamlined package, a document completeness check before delivery, and the step-by-step filing flow. The user certifies non-willfulness on Form 14653, signs, and files with the provided instructions. Prefilled official PDFs are only integrated for the current tax year.

Scope, limits, and data

The software prepares the figures and assigns them to the forms, but signing and filing are always the user's responsibility. Judgment calls — non-willfulness certification, a treaty position, an expatriation decision, or an open audit — remain with a professional the user hires, with the Atamatax package as a starting point. Card details go directly to Stripe, and stored return data is limited to the user's account. The tool is built and maintained by its founder, Danilson Ramos, a software developer based in Monthey, Switzerland, who created the tool after working on the Form 8621 problem. The site publishes country guides — including Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and Spain — because, although U.S. filing rules are the same everywhere, the local products that trigger them vary by country.