American Born & Raised Overseas - Never Filed US Taxes, No SSN: How to Fix My Status with the IRS?

You're definitely in a tough situation, but it's more common than you might think! As an American citizen, you're subject to citizenship-based taxation, which means you need to file regardless of where you live. However, you don't necessarily owe double taxes because of tax treaties and the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) and Foreign Tax Credits. First, you need to get a Social Security Number. As a citizen, you're entitled to one even while abroad. You can apply at the embassy when you go for your passport renewal. Bring your birth certificate and other identification. For catching up on past tax filings, look into the IRS's Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures - it's specifically designed for people like you who didn't know they needed to file. It generally requires only filing the last 3 years of tax returns and 6 years of Foreign Bank Account Reports (FBARs) if your accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point. The good news is there are no penalties under this program if you certify your non-filing was non-willful. Since you've been paying taxes in Japan, you'll likely owe little to no US tax after applying tax credits or exclusions. The main thing is getting compliant with the filing requirements.

I went through something similar last year and discovered https://taxr.ai which was an absolute lifesaver. I was born in Germany to American parents and never filed US taxes until I was 42! I had no idea I was supposed to file while living abroad, and when I found out, I was completely overwhelmed by the forms and requirements. The taxr.ai service helped me sort through all my foreign income documentation and explained exactly which forms I needed. They were able to analyze my situation and help me determine if I qualified for the Streamlined program. The best part was that they could tell me exactly what documents I needed to gather from previous years, and how to estimate stuff I couldn't find anymore. You'll definitely need to get an SSN first at the embassy, but once you have that, I'd recommend checking them out to help with your backfiling. They saved me thousands compared to what an international tax attorney quoted me.

I was honestly super skeptical about using an online service for my complicated expatriate tax situation, but after getting a quote from a traditional accountant (nearly $6,000!), I decided to try https://taxr.ai based on recommendations in this forum. Best decision ever! They helped me navigate 4 years of unfiled taxes, including dealing with self-employment income from multiple countries and complicated foreign tax credits. What impressed me most was how they handled my foreign pension accounts which have weird tax treaty implications. The streamlined filing process was WAY less stressful than I expected. And guess what? I didn't actually end up owing any taxes to the US after all the exclusions and credits! Just had to file the paperwork to get compliant. For anyone in a similar situation - get your SSN first, then tackle the tax filings. It's not as scary as it seems once you have the right help.

After reading your situation, I immediately thought of my own nightmare trying to reach the IRS international taxpayer line. When I discovered I needed to file as an American abroad, I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone who could help me with my specific situation. It was beyond frustrating! I eventually found https://claimyr.com and used their service to get through to an actual IRS agent. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an agent picks up. Saved me literally hours of hold time. For your situation, I'd recommend getting some direct answers from the IRS about the Streamlined procedures and how to handle getting an SSN as an adult. Having an actual conversation with an agent gave me so much more clarity than just reading conflicting advice online.

I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a potential scam, I was desperate enough to try it last week when I needed to talk to the IRS about my foreign bank accounts. I was floored when it actually worked exactly as described. I entered my number on their website, and about 2 hours later (while I was doing other things), my phone rang and there was an actual IRS agent on the line! No middleman, just direct connection to the IRS. I was able to ask all my questions about the Streamlined Filing Procedures and got confirmation that I was eligible even though I'd been non-compliant for over a decade. The agent was surprisingly helpful and walked me through exactly which forms I needed. For anyone in the same boat as OP - being able to actually speak with the IRS made a huge difference in my confidence about getting compliant with my US tax obligations.

Just to add some perspective from someone who was in almost the exact situation - I'm a dual US/UK citizen who grew up entirely outside the US and never filed until age 40. The most important thing is DON'T PANIC. The IRS actually expects you to get caught up using the Streamlined procedures. In my experience: 1. Getting an SSN as an adult was surprisingly easy at the embassy 2. I only needed 3 years of back taxes + 6 years of FBARs 3. Because of tax treaties and Foreign Tax Credits, I owed $0 to the US 4. The whole process took about 5 months from start to finish 5. No penalties whatsoever One tip: even though you could theoretically do this yourself, don't. Get a tax pro who specializes in expat taxes. There are firms that do nothing but handle cases like yours.

One thing no one's mentioned yet - if you're planning to ever move to the US in the future, getting tax compliant now is SUPER important. My cousin ignored his US filing requirements for years while living in Asia, then tried to move back to the States and had major issues getting a mortgage, credit cards, etc. because he had no US tax history or credit score. Also, while the Streamlined procedures are great, they can change or end at any time. The IRS could decide tomorrow to make the requirements stricter. I wouldn't wait.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! I'm a 35-year-old dual US/German citizen who has lived in Berlin my entire adult life and only recently discovered I was supposed to be filing US taxes. Like you, I never had an SSN and was completely in the dark about these requirements. Here's what I've learned from my research and initial steps: 1. **Don't ignore it** - I know it's tempting (especially seeing your brother's approach), but this problem doesn't go away and can get much worse over time. 2. **SSN application is straightforward** - I got mine at the US consulate in Frankfurt last month. Just needed my birth certificate, passport, and proof of identity. The whole appointment took maybe 30 minutes. 3. **Focus on the Streamlined procedures** - This seems to be the gold standard for people in our situation. My tax advisor confirmed that most people like us end up owing little to nothing after foreign tax credits. 4. **Get professional help** - I initially tried to figure this out myself but quickly realized the complexity was beyond what I could handle alone. A good expat tax specialist is worth every penny. The hardest part for me was overcoming the initial panic and paralysis. Once I started taking concrete steps, it became much more manageable. Your music career income situation might be more complex than my regular employment, but the basic framework is the same. Feel free to reach out if you want to compare notes as we both work through this process!