Comparison · updated monthly
Taxes for Expats prepares your return with human experts. It markets itself 'no robots' — Atamatax is the self-serve software they're contrasting with.
Taxes for Expats presents a human-preparer service; verify its current staffing, scope, timing, and prices directly. Atamatax is guided self-serve software specialized in supported PFIC / Form 8621 inputs, with a free on-screen summary and a paid draft package.
Who Taxes for Expats is for
TFX fits expats who want an experienced human in the loop and prefer that to driving software themselves — particularly thorough hand-holding, messy multi-year situations, or filers who simply don't want to touch the forms.
Side-by-side
Model
- Atamatax
- Self-serve software you complete yourself.
- Taxes for Expats
- Human preparers — explicitly 'no robots'.
Pricing
- Atamatax Winner
- $299 / $499 / $799 flat per return, published.
- Taxes for Expats
- Flat tiers, typically ~$400+ for a core return.
Free on-screen summary before paying
- Atamatax Winner
- On-screen draft free; pay to generate the PDF package.
- Taxes for Expats
- No free draft — engagement is paid.
Form 8621 (PFIC)
- Atamatax Winner
- Core specialty; built-in, up to 25 per return.
- Taxes for Expats
- Handled by preparers, priced into the engagement.
FBAR (FinCEN 114) & FATCA (Form 8938)
- Atamatax
- Generated in the same flow.
- Taxes for Expats
- Prepared as part of the service.
Treaty positions (Form 8833)
- Atamatax
- Dedicated FR / UK / DE / CA / AU desks.
- Taxes for Expats
- Handled by the assigned preparer.
Turnaround
- Atamatax Winner
- Self-paced draft; package generation remains user-triggered.
- Taxes for Expats
- Slower — depends on preparer review cycles.
Arbitrarily complex / unusual cases
- Atamatax
- Refers complex cases to independent CPAs.
- Taxes for Expats Winner
- Human experts handle complexity end-to-end.
Integrated e-file & state returns
- Atamatax
- Draft federal package; no integrated e-file or state return.
- Taxes for Expats Winner
- Preparer files federal and state for you.
The marked column indicates which product handles the feature more completely as of July 2026. We update this page when their offering changes — tell us if it's out of date.
Bottom line
Atamatax is the self-serve option: it shows PFIC calculations in the wizard and generates supported Form 8621 draft PDFs after purchase, with open items identified. It does not provide human preparation, integrated e-file, or representation. Verify the other provider's current scope directly.
Try it free
The on-screen draft is free. You pay when you generate the PDF package.
Start the wizard, see your real numbers, and decide from there.