As a US citizen with a legal online business in America, can I live abroad for 11 months and still maintain my business?

Yes, you absolutely can run your US-based business while living abroad for extended periods. As a US citizen, you remain subject to US taxation on your worldwide income regardless of where you physically reside. The bigger considerations are actually: 1) Tax implications in the foreign countries where you'll be staying, and 2) Maintaining your business compliance in your state of registration. For your Texas LLC, you'll need to ensure you maintain a registered agent with a physical address in Texas who can receive legal documents. You'll also need to file your annual reports and pay any required fees to keep your LLC in good standing. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) might benefit you if you qualify, allowing you to exclude up to about $120,000 of foreign earned income from US taxation in 2025. To qualify, you need to either establish a tax home in a foreign country and pass the bona fide residence test (living in a foreign country for an uninterrupted period including an entire tax year) OR pass the physical presence test (physically present in foreign countries for at least 330 days in a 12-month period).

Hey there! I was in a similar situation last year with my e-commerce business. I was so confused about all the tax implications of living abroad while running my US business. I stumbled across this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that literally saved me thousands in potential tax issues. They analyzed my specific situation and explained exactly how the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion would apply to my business income as a single-member LLC. They also pointed out I needed to consider state tax domicile issues and helped me plan the right documentation to prove my foreign presence to qualify for the exclusions. What made the biggest difference was their help with tracking my days in/out of the US and understanding how different countries' tax treaties would affect me. They even helped me determine which business expenses would still be deductible while abroad!

Just wanted to provide an update after using taxr.ai. I was super nervous about maintaining my Etsy business while traveling through Portugal and Croatia for most of this year. I had so many questions about whether I'd lose my LLC status and how taxes would work. The service honestly changed everything for me. Their analysis showed I could save around $18,000 using the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion properly, but I had to be careful about how I structured my time abroad. They helped me plan my year to ensure I hit the 330 days outside the US. The most helpful part was their guidance on which business expenses remained deductible (home office in foreign rentals was tricky) and how to maintain my banking and payment processing while abroad. They even helped me with the state tax issues I would have completely overlooked. Definitely worth checking out if you're planning extended travel while running a business!

I see you're getting tax advice which is great, but don't overlook another huge challenge: actually reaching the IRS when inevitable questions come up while you're abroad. I spent MONTHS trying to resolve an issue with my Foreign Earned Income Exclusion last year because I couldn't get through to the IRS international tax department. After wasting countless hours with disconnected calls and 2+ hour holds that went nowhere, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, they get you through to an actual human at the IRS quickly. I was skeptical but desperate after my sixth failed attempt to reach someone. They got me through to the international tax department in about 20 minutes when I had been trying unsuccessfully for weeks. The agent was able to resolve my issue with the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion documentation that had been holding up my refund.

Just wanted to eat my words from earlier. After another failed 2-hour attempt to reach the IRS about my foreign income reporting, I tried Claimyr out of pure frustration. Holy crap it actually works. I was connected to an IRS agent within 30 minutes after spending WEEKS trying on my own. The agent cleared up my confusion about how to report my business income while I was abroad last year. Turns out I had been filling out Form 8938 incorrectly and might have triggered an audit. For anyone running a US business from overseas, being able to actually talk to the IRS when issues come up is absolutely critical. I'm now getting a $4,300 refund that had been held up because of my reporting error. Never thought I'd be recommending a service like this, but it genuinely solved a massive headache.

Something nobody's mentioned yet - you need to think about banking issues too. Many US banks will shut down your accounts if they detect you're primarily accessing from foreign IPs for extended periods. I had Chase freeze my business account while I was in Thailand for 6 months and it was a NIGHTMARE to fix. My recommendations: 1) Set up a VPN that gives you a US IP address 2) Notify your bank before you leave about your travel plans 3) Consider keeping a secondary bank account with an international-friendly bank like Charles Schwab 4) Make sure you have multiple ways to access your business funds Also, payment processors like Stripe and PayPal can sometimes limit functionality if they detect foreign access. Again, VPN is your friend here.

Don't forget about health insurance! This was a major oversight in my planning when I did something similar in 2023. Regular US health insurance often provides zero coverage outside the country except for emergencies. And many international health insurance plans don't cover you when you return to the US for those few weeks. I ended up getting a global health insurance plan through Cigna Global that covered me everywhere including my brief US visits. Cost about $180/month with a high deductible. Worth every penny when I got food poisoning in Malaysia!

Speaking from experience (3 years running a US-based online marketing business while traveling), the technical/practical aspects were actually harder than the legal/tax aspects. Time zone challenges when clients expect meetings during US business hours but you're in Asia was brutal. Internet reliability is another huge factor - I learned to always have backup internet options (local SIM with hotspot capability + regular wifi). Also recommend setting up a good VoIP phone service that lets you maintain a US number. I use Google Voice which lets me make/receive US calls from anywhere. Clients never knew I was responding from a beach in Bali at 11pm my time.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is visa requirements and how they might affect your tax situation. While you can absolutely run your US business from abroad, some countries have strict rules about working on tourist visas, even if it's remote work for a US company. Countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and several European nations are cracking down on "digital nomads" working on tourist visas. Getting caught could result in deportation and future visa denials. Consider looking into digital nomad visas that several countries now offer - Portugal, Estonia, and Barbados have legitimate remote work visas. Also, be aware that spending too much time in certain countries (usually 183+ days) can trigger tax residency there, which could complicate your US tax situation even with the FEIE. Each country has different thresholds and rules. I'd strongly recommend consulting with both a US international tax attorney AND researching the work visa requirements for each country you plan to visit. The $500-1000 you spend on proper legal advice upfront could save you from major legal and tax headaches down the road.