International Asset Navigator | SilverBeacon
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International Asset Navigator

International Asset Navigator

Choose a country and your situation. You'll get a country briefing on the cross-border issues and a personal checklist you can download as a large-print PDF and bring to your advisors.

Family assets abroadHelping a parent with assets abroadOwning property abroadPlanning a move abroad

Important Disclaimer — Please Read Before Proceeding

This is an educational tool, not advice. It is designed to help you spot issues and prepare better questions for your professional advisors. It does not create an attorney-client, CPA-client, fiduciary, advisory or any other professional relationship with me or with SilverBeacon.

  • A June 2026 snapshot. Laws, treaties, reporting thresholds, sanctions, exchange controls, visa rules and local procedures change often, and some information here may already be out of date.
  • Not complete. It does not cover every country, asset, treaty, local rule, immigration status or personal circumstance.
  • Your status matters. US citizenship, green card status, tax residency, domicile, where you live, marital status and where each asset sits can all change the answer.
  • Confirm with professionals in both countries. Before acting, consult a qualified US international estate attorney, a CPA with international experience, immigration counsel where relevant, and legal and tax professionals in the other country.

🔒 Your choices are processed entirely in your browser and are never sent or stored. Do not enter account numbers, passwords, Social Security or passport numbers.

Start here · about a 5-minute read How this works A plain-language map of the process before you build your checklist.

When family money or property sits in another country, two sets of rules apply at the same time. This overview gives you the map. The checklist below fills it in for your country and your situation.

Six ideas that explain most of what follows

Your checklist comes in six phases

Each phase builds on the one before: protect first, then deadlines, then the slower work. The phase names shift a little with your situation. If you are planning a move, Phase 1 covers decisions that are hard to undo. If you are helping a living family member, it covers documents they must sign while they still can.

    What to expect over time

    These are typical timelines for settling an estate. A move abroad or planning ahead usually runs on your own schedule, though visas, tax residency and Medicare have dates of their own.

    Who is usually on the team

    US international estate attorneyYour US will or trust, US estate tax, and coordinating the plan across countries.
    US CPA with international experienceFBAR, Form 8938, Form 3520, foreign tax credits and treaty positions.
    Local attorneyRuns the legal process in the other country and arranges the transfer of property.
    Local tax adviserLocal inheritance, property and income taxes, and local deadlines.
    Certified translatorTranslates certificates and legal documents so officials will accept them.
    Licensed professional fiduciaryCan serve as agent, trustee or executor when no family member can manage it.
    Immigration or sanctions attorneyWhen a green card, a move abroad or US sanctions are involved.
    Aging life care managerHelps your family decide what comes first and coordinates care and advisers, especially for a parent abroad.
    Terms you'll hear
    US forms in plain English
    FBAR (FinCEN Form 114)
    Required when your foreign accounts together pass $10,000 at any point in the year, including accounts you can only sign on. Due April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15. It is filed online with FinCEN, separately from your tax return, and penalties for missing it are severe.
    Form 8938 (FATCA)
    Filed with your tax return when foreign financial assets pass a higher threshold: for a single filer living in the US, more than $50,000 at year-end or $75,000 at any time. Thresholds are higher for married couples and for people living abroad.
    Form 3520
    Reports gifts or inheritances of more than $100,000 in a year from a non-US person or foreign estate, and dealings with foreign trusts. Usually no tax is due, but late-filing penalties can reach 25% of the amount.
    Form 8621 (PFIC)
    For foreign mutual funds, ETFs and similar pooled investments. The US taxes these harshly unless they are handled correctly, so ask a CPA before buying or keeping them.
    Forms 5471 and 8865
    For owning part of a foreign company (5471) or foreign partnership (8865), such as a company that holds property.
    Form 1116
    Claims a credit for income tax paid to another country, so the same income is not fully taxed twice.
    Form 706 / 706-NA
    The US estate tax return. Form 706 is for US citizens and residents; Form 706-NA is for non-US persons who held US assets.
    You can reopen this overview at any time.

    1Country

    2Your US status

    3Your situation

    Choose all that apply.

    4Assets involved

    Your checklist and country briefing update as soon as you change any choice.

    Please read and accept the disclaimer above to begin.

    Where to go from here

    Bring your checklist to a US international estate attorney or cross-border tax adviser. SilverBeacon is building more tools for the transitions of aging; join early access to try them first.

    Join early access →

    © 2026 SilverBeacon · silverbeacon.net
    Educational tool only. Not legal, tax, financial, fiduciary, immigration or investment advice. Based on information available as of June 2026. The content may be incomplete, outdated or not apply to your facts. Always verify with qualified professionals in the US and in the other country. · Disclaimer & Privacy