Greenback vs 1040 Abroad vs MyExpatTaxes: Expat Tax (2026)

You formed your LLC in Wyoming. You got your EIN. You opened a bank account. Now you need to file Form 5472, the annual information return the IRS requires from every foreign-owned single-member LLC. Miss it, and the penalty is $25,000 per form, per year.

So you search "expat tax services" and find Greenback, MyExpatTaxes, 1040 Abroad, Bright!Tax, H&R Block Expat -- all targeting Americans abroad. But you are not a US citizen living overseas. You are a non-US person who owns a US LLC. Most of these services were not built for you.

The dividing line is Form 5472. Here is how Greenback, 1040 Abroad, and MyExpatTaxes compare -- and why one of them cannot serve non-resident LLC owners at all.

How do Greenback, 1040 Abroad, and MyExpatTaxes compare on price and coverage?

Three different models, one deal-breaker: only two of them handle Form 5472.

Why does Form 5472 matter for non-resident LLC owners?

$25,000 per form, per year. That is the penalty for not filing. And it is not a tax -- it is an information return that most non-resident founders have never heard of until an IRS notice shows up.

Every foreign-owned single-member LLC must file a pro-forma Form 1120 with Form 5472 attached, reporting all "reportable transactions" between the LLC and its foreign owner. Reportable transactions include:

• Capital contributions (money you put into the LLC)
• Loans between you and the LLC
• Rent, service fees, or any payment between owner and entity
• Distributions (money the LLC pays you)

If you transferred $5,000 from your personal account to your LLC's Mercury account to cover operating expenses, that is a reportable transaction. If the LLC paid you a $2,000 distribution, that is a reportable transaction. The threshold for reporting is $0. Every dollar moves through Form 5472.

The filing deadline is April 15 (or the extended deadline of October 15 with Form 7004). The form requires attaching a pro-forma Form 1120, which means the preparer needs to understand both individual and corporate filing requirements.

Form 5472 experience is the first filter. Not price, not UX, not brand recognition.

What does Greenback include?

The biggest dedicated expat tax firm, and one of the few that serves both US expats and foreign-owned LLC owners.

Greenback assigns a named CPA or Enrolled Agent to each client -- the same preparer year over year. They handle Form 5472, 5471, and 8865 alongside standard expat returns. 1,605 Trustpilot reviews at 5.0 stars.

Greenback handles pro-forma 1120 + Form 5472 for foreign-owned single-member LLCs. IRS representation is included if audited, and they cover penalties for preparer errors.

The workflow: sign up online, get assigned a CPA, upload documents through their portal, communicate via messaging and email. No video calls by default.

For a non-resident LLC owner with Form 5472 + FBAR, expect $800--1,000. Add Schedule C income and the total hits $1,200+. There is no "all-inclusive" package -- add-ons stack.

The downside: no DIY option, no crypto-specific expertise, and that $565 base is the floor. Complex situations get expensive fast.

What does 1040 Abroad include?

The cheapest confirmed Form 5472 price at $300 flat, and every other form price is published too. No "contact us for a quote."

1040 Abroad is a smaller CPA firm -- 216 Trustpilot reviews at 5.0 -- but with the most transparent pricing in this space.

For a non-resident LLC owner: $500 (1040) + $300 (5472) + $100 (FBAR) = $900 all-in. State return adds $100. No hidden fees, no tiered packages.

You upload documents through their portal and communicate via email. Straightforward.

The trade-off is size. Smaller firm means less brand recognition, a less polished portal, and fewer educational resources. Peak season (February--April) can stretch response times.

Practitioner insight from 1040 Abroad: The most common structural mistake they see among non-resident founders is setting up multi-member LLCs without realizing this creates a partnership for U.S. tax purposes. A multi-member LLC no longer files Form 5472 — it files Form 1065 (partnership return), which is significantly more complex. Many founders assume all LLCs receive the same disregarded entity treatment regardless of member count. They don't.

What does MyExpatTaxes include?

The best DIY option for US citizen expats. Not an option at all for non-resident LLC owners.

MyExpatTaxes is TurboTax for Americans abroad -- a guided interface for FEIE, FBAR, and FATCA filing starting at $115. It has the highest review volume in this space (4,787 Trustpilot reviews, 5.0 rating). But Form 5472, Form 5471, Form 1065? None of them.

If you are a non-resident LLC owner, stop here. MyExpatTaxes cannot file your return. No Form 5472, no pro-forma 1120, no foreign-owned entity compliance of any kind.

Where it works well: US citizen digital nomads with W-2/1099 or Schedule C income who want to self-file at $115--575. The guided interview handles multi-country tax positions without CPA wait time.

One catch worth noting: the Premium tier at $575 approaches what Greenback and 1040 Abroad charge for CPA-prepared returns ($500--565), but with narrower coverage.

What about Bright!Tax, H&R Block, and TFX?

None of them clearly advertise Form 5472 as a standard service. That alone puts them behind Greenback and 1040 Abroad for non-resident LLC owners.

Bright!Tax bundles FBAR and FATCA into packages, but Form 5472 is not a prominently advertised service. Their 4.0 Trustpilot (lowest among dedicated expat firms) shows complaints about communication delays and pricing surprises.

H&R Block can handle any IRS form through its business services division, but the expat tier targets US citizens abroad. Non-resident LLC compliance would go through their premium business services at quote-based pricing. The 1.2 Trustpilot reflects the domestic operation, not the expat team specifically -- but it is not a confidence-builder.

TFX has prepared expat returns for 20+ years across 190+ countries. The $450 base is competitive. Form 5472 is not prominently listed, which usually means it is case-by-case rather than a standard offering.

How much does a non-resident LLC filing actually cost?

$800--1,000 through Greenback, $900 through 1040 Abroad, and not available at any price through MyExpatTaxes. The spread between providers is a rounding error next to the $25,000 non-filing penalty.

For US citizen expats with simple returns, the gap is dramatic: $195 (MyExpatTaxes) vs. $815 (Greenback). For non-resident LLC owners, the gap between Greenback and 1040 Abroad shrinks to almost nothing. At that point, it is a service model decision, not a price decision.

Which expat tax service fits which situation?

The answer depends on one question: are you a US citizen abroad, or a non-US person who owns a US LLC?

Non-resident LLC owner needing Form 5472? Greenback or 1040 Abroad. Greenback gives you a named CPA, IRS audit representation, and scale. 1040 Abroad gives you the lowest transparent price ($300 for Form 5472) and no surprises. The $100 price difference between them is not the deciding factor -- pick based on whether you want a large firm or a lean one.

US citizen digital nomad? MyExpatTaxes at $115--195 for simple returns. No CPA wait, no back-and-forth. At $575 (Premium with CPA review), it starts competing on price with Greenback and 1040 Abroad, so only the DIY aspect justifies it at that tier.

US citizen with a foreign corporation? Bright!Tax -- Form 5471 is their core strength, and FBAR/FATCA come bundled.

Simple US expat return, want a brand name? H&R Block Expat at $239 with an advisor. Just know that their Trustpilot reflects the domestic operation, not the expat team.

What this comparison does not address

This covers tax preparation only -- annual compliance filings. Adjacent questions with their own complexity:

• Tax planning — whether an LLC is the right entity at all. See the entity decision framework.
• State obligations — nexus, franchise tax, state income tax. See the best state for LLC guide.
• Formation — the LLC creation process. See the formation comparison.
• Bookkeeping — ongoing records. See the bookkeeping comparison.
• Banking — account options for non-residents. See the banking comparison.

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FAQ

What is Form 5472 and who needs to file it?

Form 5472 is an information return required by the IRS from every US LLC that has a 25% or greater foreign owner. For single-member LLCs owned by non-US persons, the LLC files a pro-forma Form 1120 (corporate return) with Form 5472 attached, reporting all transactions between the LLC and its foreign owner. The penalty for failing to file is $25,000 per form, per year. The filing deadline is April 15, with an extension available to October 15 via Form 7004.

Can I file Form 5472 myself without a CPA?

Technically, yes. The IRS does not require professional preparation. But the form requires a pro-forma Form 1120, correct categorization of reportable transactions, and understanding reporting thresholds. Most non-resident LLC owners use a CPA because $300--565 in preparation fees is cheap insurance against a $25,000 penalty.

What is the difference between Form 5472 and Form 5471?

Opposite directions of the same reporting obligation. Form 5472: a US entity (your LLC) reports its foreign owner. Form 5471: a US person reports their foreign corporation. Non-US person owns a US LLC = Form 5472. US citizen owns a company in Singapore = Form 5471. Different forms, different preparers, different expertise.

Does MyExpatTaxes work for non-resident LLC owners?

No. It handles Form 1040 with FEIE, FBAR, and FATCA for US citizens abroad. No Form 5472, no Form 5471, no Form 1065, no foreign-owned entity compliance. Non-resident LLC owners need Greenback or 1040 Abroad.

What happens if I miss the Form 5472 filing deadline?

$25,000 per form, per year. If the IRS sends a notice and you still do not file within 90 days, additional $25,000 penalties accrue every 30 days with no cap. Enforcement has increased since 2017, when reporting requirements expanded to cover foreign-owned single-member LLCs. This is the single largest penalty exposure for non-resident LLC owners.

Key Takeaways

• Form 5472 compliance is the critical filter for non-resident LLC owners choosing a tax preparer. Only Greenback ($235–380) and 1040 Abroad ($300) clearly support and price this filing.
• MyExpatTaxes (5.0 Trustpilot, 4,787 reviews) is the strongest option for US citizen expats , but does not serve non-resident LLC owners at all. It has no Form 5472 capability.
• The total annual cost for a non-resident LLC filing (Form 5472 + FBAR) is $800–1,000 through Greenback or $900 through 1040 Abroad. The difference between providers is far smaller than the $25,000 non-filing penalty.
• 1040 Abroad has the most transparent pricing in the expat tax space — every form has a published flat price, no consultation required.
• Bright!Tax ($800+ base, 4.0 Trustpilot) is strongest for US citizens with foreign corporations (Form 5471) but does not clearly advertise Form 5472 support for non-resident LLC owners.

Related Reading

• Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase vs Doola — formation services and annual compliance costs
• Best State for LLC — Wyoming vs Delaware vs New Mexico
• doola vs Pilot vs DIY Bookkeeping — ongoing financial records
• Mercury vs Wise vs Relay — banking for non-resident LLC owners
• Entity Decision Framework — is an LLC the right structure?
• Business Account Freeze Diagnostic — single-bank dependency risk
• How to Form a US LLC as a Non-Resident — step-by-step
• Tax Residency Determination — multi-jurisdiction analysis

References

• IRS Form 5472 Instructions — information return for 25%-foreign-owned US corporations and foreign-owned single-member LLCs
• IRS Form 5472 Penalty: IRC §6038A(d) — $25,000 penalty per form per year for failure to file
• Treasury Regulations §1.6038A-1 through -7 — reporting requirements for foreign-owned US corporations
• Greenback Expat Tax Services — CPA-prepared expat tax returns and Form 5472 compliance
• 1040 Abroad — CPA-prepared expat tax returns with published flat-rate pricing
• MyExpatTaxes — DIY expat tax software for US citizens abroad
• Bright!Tax — CPA-prepared expat tax returns, Form 5471 specialization

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