Retire Expats filing yearly tax for the US.

There is a reporting requirement for US retired overseas. It's how they make sure you are still kicking.

Many avoid all this tax garbage by having a US address (relative or friend) and maintaining a US bank account in to which your income is deposited. Use ATM or SWIFT transfer to access money.

There are previous posts on the subject - use Search if you need to locate them.

thuy4tien,  Living overseas you get an additional two months to file every year (June 15) it's automatic, you don't have to request it. My wife and I are both US retired and our income  comes from our retirement accounts.  I just go on-line every year and download the required forms and tax tables from IRS, input the information and mail them in via VNPT. There's a special place to mail them to if your outside the USA. You can find it on the IRS website. I don't think you'll get a tax break on the income you stated biased only on the fact your overseas. As far as tax preparers go here I'm sure there are some around Saigon but I've never had any reason to use them . The US Consulate might have a list. On the IRS website they also have a few company around tax time that you can e-file with but being overseas the address tend to muddle thing up and on one occasion a few years ago when I tried it and got to the end of the form it gave me a error saying "they only provide free e-filing in the States"

THANKS @Jaitch / @Budman1......We won't earn any income in Vietnam, we just live on the money we have saved (when working).  There are Dividends and Interests (from our investment) that will COUNT AS INCOME.  This is what we will use to live abroad.  However, INCOME will need to be filed during tax time.  As @Budman1 mentioned, June 15 is better than April 15.  We will use my brother's address in the US.  I can see how TROUBLESOME if you try to type in a Vietnamese address on the tax software.   

If my tax rate is 25% when I file it...living in the US with the US address.  Do you know if my tax rate will be LESS (than 25%) if I say that I NO LONGER live in the US (but now live in HCMC, Vietnam)? I guess NOT... what do you think?

@Budman1.....what tax software do you download in HCMC? I am still in Houston, TX (US) and they have H&R Blocks and Turbo Tax that you can buy at the stores or buy it online and download it.  Which one do you use?

Do you both mind if we keep in touch?  We plan to go back for 2 months next year (2015). Would like to meet up with you all when we are there...... We will move to VN for good in early 2016. 

What are your private email addresses?   Our is:   thuy4tien00(at)gmail.com.

I use Tax Cut software from H&R Block and I use my Vietnam address as my residence but I put my mailing address as my po box in the US.

The only way you can get a tax break for living abroad is if you meet certain requirment such as staying outside of the US a certain number of days during the year, you can't just say "Hey, I don't live in the US anymore". I'm not sure if income from investments qualifies as income earned overseas.
I paid around 16% tax rat on about 175K of income last year.

VungTauDon wrote:

I use Tax Cut software from H&R Block

H & R Block must be happy, they sell your information to credit bureaus and H&R's data is solid.