Is my Australian super tax-free to the IRS?

No. The IRS typically treats Australian Superannuation as a foreign grantor trust rather than a tax-free pension, and the underlying unlisted property and infrastructure holdings are often PFICs. We attach the right disclosure and prepare Form 8621 worksheets per fund.

Do franking credits count on my US return?

The imputation (franking) credit itself doesn't translate to the IRS, but the underlying Australian corporate tax counts as creditable foreign tax on Form 1116. We split it cleanly so you capture the credit you're entitled to.

How is the 50% CGT discount handled?

The ATO's 50% CGT discount has no US equivalent, so we compute the IRS cost basis and gain separately and flag any holding where the US bracket differs from the Australian result.

Convention 1982 · IRS × ATO

Super isn't tax-free to the IRS either.
We classify your AustralianSuper holdings and prepare Form 8621 worksheets per fund.

Australia-US Convention 1982 + 2001 Protocol covers dividends, interest, super, and capital gains. Australian Superannuation funds are typically treated as foreign grantor trusts by the IRS — we attach the right disclosure.

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Free PFIC scan · Pay to generate the draft package · Mapped Forms 8621 / 8938 / FBAR / 1116 / 8833

What we handle for Australia residents

The three things that bite Australia-based US citizens.

Industry & retail super

Underlying unlisted property and infrastructure investments are PFICs. We surface the line items in your member statement.

Franking credits

Imputation credits don't translate to the IRS — but the underlying corporate tax counts on Form 1116. We split it cleanly.

CGT discount mismatch

ATO's 50% CGT discount has no US equivalent. We compute the IRS basis separately and flag where the bracket differs.

Other treaty desks

Same workflow, different bilateral convention.

FranceConvention 1994 United KingdomConvention 2001 GermanyConvention 1989 SwitzerlandConvention 1996 CanadaConvention 1980

Australia treaty · FAQ

What US citizens in Australia ask us most.

Is my Australian super tax-free to the IRS?: No. The IRS typically treats Australian Superannuation as a foreign grantor trust rather than a tax-free pension, and the underlying unlisted property and infrastructure holdings are often PFICs. We attach the right disclosure and prepare Form 8621 worksheets per fund.
Do franking credits count on my US return?: The imputation (franking) credit itself doesn't translate to the IRS, but the underlying Australian corporate tax counts as creditable foreign tax on Form 1116. We split it cleanly so you capture the credit you're entitled to.
How is the 50% CGT discount handled?: The ATO's 50% CGT discount has no US equivalent, so we compute the IRS cost basis and gain separately and flag any holding where the US bracket differs from the Australian result.

Atamatax · run your Australia return

Free on-screen draft. Pay to generate the PDF package.

Scan your brokerage, see your PFIC count, review the forms with the right Australia treaty positions attached. You pay when you generate the draft PDF package. It maps supported figures to IRS forms and identifies items you or your CPA still need to complete.

Start my draft See pricing

What you walk out with

· Form 1040 + schedules B, D, 1, 2, 3
· One Form 8621 per PFIC (up to 25 per return)
· Form 8938 (FATCA) when thresholds hit
· FinCEN 114 (FBAR) threshold check and separate-filing guidance
· Form 1116 with Australia tax credit allocated
· Form 8833 when you take a treaty position