Atamatax

What is Atamatax?

Atamatax is self-serve federal tax return software for US persons abroad, with an emphasis on reporting foreign brokerage holdings and the forms commonly missed by general-purpose tax software. It is designed to help users prepare filings that may include Form 8621 for PFICs, FBAR, Form 8938, Form 1116, and Form 8833.

The product centers on a brokerage scan and return draft workflow. Users can connect supported brokerage sources or review uploaded statements, then see whether holdings are flagged as PFICs, what forms are required, and what a draft package would include. The site says the draft is free, and that paid filing packages are offered at flat prices.

Atamatax also presents treaty-aware workflows for several countries, including France, the UK, Germany, Canada, and Australia. Its review flow is built around cited tax rules and explicit elections, with the stated goal of producing signed-ready PDFs rather than hidden calculations.

Key Features

• Brokerage statement scan for foreign-domiciled holdings, with flagged results that identify potential PFIC exposure and other form triggers.
• Form generation for common expat filings, including Form 8621, FBAR, Form 8938, Form 1116, and Form 8833.
• PFIC handling that distinguishes among mark-to-market, QEF, and §1291 treatment, with side-by-side math and election prompts.
• Treaty workflow support for FR, UK, DE, CA, and AU, including article-level disclosure paths and related foreign tax credit handling.
• Read-only brokerage connection options shown for Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, Interactive Brokers, and Robinhood via Plaid, plus upload paths for 1099 PDF or CSV files.
• Draft output packaged as signed-ready PDFs, with the site showing a ready package that can include the 1040, schedules, 8621s, 8938, FBAR, 1116, and 8833.

How to Use Atamatax

Start by running the free brokerage scan or opening the worked return demo. From there, enter your residence country, filing status, and any spouse-related information so the workflow can select the appropriate treaty and filing path.

Next, connect a supported brokerage account or upload statements and tax documents. Atamatax then classifies holdings, estimates required forms, and produces a draft package for review before any filing step.

Use Cases

• A US expat with an Irish UCITS ETF in a brokerage account who needs to determine whether the holding is a PFIC and which Form 8621 method applies.
• A taxpayer with multiple foreign financial accounts who needs to see whether FBAR and Form 8938 reporting thresholds are met.
• A user with foreign tax paid who needs Form 1116 support and category-based foreign tax credit allocation.
• A filer with treaty-related income or disclosures who needs Form 8833 and article-by-article treaty handling.
• Someone comparing whether a DIY return, a consumer tax app, or a CPA workflow is better for a return that includes PFIC and offshore reporting forms.

FAQ

Does Atamatax handle PFIC reporting? Yes. The site explicitly shows Form 8621 support and describes PFIC workflows including mark-to-market, QEF, and §1291 calculations.

Can I try it before paying? Yes. The page says the free scan produces a draft first and notes that no credit card is required for the scan.

Which countries or treaty workflows are supported? The site names France, the UK, Germany, Canada, and Australia in connection with treaty workflows.

Does it file directly with the IRS today? The page says signed-ready PDFs are available now, and that e-file via a partner ERO is planned for Q3 2026.

What brokerage sources are shown as supported? The page shows Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, Interactive Brokers, and Robinhood, with Plaid listed as the connection method for supported production use.

Alternatives

A traditional CPA is a common alternative for expat returns with PFICs and offshore reporting forms. Compared with Atamatax, a CPA typically provides manual preparation and review, but may cost more and requires more back-and-forth.

TurboTax is a general consumer tax product, but the page says it does not handle Form 8621 and skips the offshore forms that Atamatax addresses.

Excel or spreadsheet-based DIY filing is another alternative for highly technical users. That approach gives full manual control, but it also requires the user to calculate elections, thresholds, and throwback-interest mechanics themselves.

Specialized expat tax services such as MyExpatTaxes are also in the same category, but the page positions Atamatax as a flat-fee self-serve workflow built around PFIC and foreign brokerage reporting.