Comparison · updated monthly
1040 Abroad is human-prepared expat filing with free pre-engagement consults. It's strong on straightforward expats and Streamlined catch-up — not a PFIC specialist.
1040 Abroad prepares expat returns for you at flat, transparent fees, and is known for offering free email consultations before you commit. It's a good fit for straightforward expat situations and Streamlined Foreign Offshore catch-up filings. Atamatax is self-serve software: you drive it yourself, see a free draft of your real numbers, and pay a flat price — with PFIC/Form 8621 depth built in.
Who 1040 Abroad is for
1040 Abroad fits expats who want a human to prepare and own the whole filing, value a free consult to talk through their situation first, or need Streamlined catch-up for missed years. If you'd rather have someone handle it for you than work through a wizard, that's their strength.
Side-by-side
Delivery model
- Atamatax
- Self-serve software you drive yourself.
- 1040 Abroad
- Human-prepared, done-for-you filing.
Pricing
- Atamatax
- $299 / $499 / $799 flat per return, shown upfront.
- 1040 Abroad
- Flat, transparent fees per service.
Free draft before paying
- Atamatax Winner
- Yes — see your real numbers before you finalise.
- 1040 Abroad
- Free pre-engagement email consult, not a full draft.
Human consultation
- Atamatax
- Software-first; refers complex cases to independent CPAs.
- 1040 Abroad Winner
- Free email consults; a person prepares the return.
Form 8621 (PFIC)
- Atamatax Winner
- Built-in specialty; up to 25 per return.
- 1040 Abroad
- Handled, but not their core specialty.
FBAR + FATCA (Form 8938)
- Atamatax
- Generated in the same flow.
- 1040 Abroad
- Prepared as part of the filing.
Streamlined catch-up filings
- Atamatax
- Current-year focus; complex catch-up referred out.
- 1040 Abroad Winner
- Strong on Streamlined Foreign Offshore.
Turnaround speed
- Atamatax Winner
- Same-session draft; finalise on your schedule.
- 1040 Abroad
- Depends on preparer capacity and back-and-forth.
Treaty positions (Form 8833)
- Atamatax
- Dedicated FR / UK / DE / CA / AU desks.
- 1040 Abroad
- Handled case-by-case by a preparer.
The marked column indicates which product handles the feature more completely as of June 2026. We update this page when their offering changes — tell us if it's out of date.
Bottom line
If you want a human to handle your full filing — especially a Streamlined catch-up — and value a free consult to talk it through first, 1040 Abroad is a solid, honest choice. If your return is a salary plus foreign brokerage accounts and a stack of PFICs, Atamatax is built for exactly that: self-serve, flat-priced, a free draft before you pay, and Form 8621 depth as a core feature rather than an edge case.
Try it free
The draft is always free. You only pay when you finalise.
Start the wizard, see your real numbers, and decide from there.