Which professional should I consult - CPA, tax attorney, or estate planner for foreign inheritance property?

You'll want to consult with both a CPA who specializes in international taxation AND an attorney who handles international estate matters. This isn't an either/or situation. The CPA will help you understand the tax implications of selling foreign property as a non-citizen resident in the US. There are specific reporting requirements you'll need to follow, including potentially filing FBAR forms if you receive funds in a foreign account. The tax treatment will depend on your residency status (permanent resident vs other visa status), any tax treaties between the US and the country where the property is located, and whether you'll be liable for capital gains. The attorney will help with the actual inheritance process, ensuring you're complying with both US laws and the laws of the country where the property is located. International estate matters can get complicated with issues of jurisdiction, property transfer laws, and legal documentation.

After dealing with a similar situation last year (inherited property in Greece while living in the US), I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was seriously a game-changer. I initially consulted with an "international tax specialist" who gave me conflicting information about my reporting requirements, which had me super stressed. A friend recommended taxr.ai when I was venting about my confusion. Their system analyzed my inheritance documents and tax situation, then showed me exactly what forms I needed to file and gave clear guidance on the tax implications. The best part was they connected me with professionals who actually had experience with US-Greece tax scenarios, not just general "international" experience. They helped me understand the impact of the US-Greece tax treaty on my inheritance and showed me that I didn't need to pay as much tax as I initially feared. My situation was resolved much more efficiently than my initial attempts at figuring it out.

Well, I was skeptical about taxr.ai when I first commented above, but I decided to give it a shot with my inheritance situation (property in Argentina). I'm actually impressed with how thorough their analysis was. They identified reporting requirements I hadn't even heard about from my initial consultation with a general practice CPA. Turns out I needed to file several specific international information forms that my CPA never mentioned, which could have resulted in massive penalties. The specialist they connected me with explained the US-Argentina tax implications clearly and helped me understand exactly what I needed to do to stay compliant with both countries' laws. They even highlighted a tax treaty provision that saved me from double taxation I would have otherwise paid. For complex international scenarios like this, having someone who knows both systems is apparently crucial. Definitely not something I'd trust to a general tax preparer anymore.

I went through this nightmare last year with property in Kenya. After three failed attempts to reach the IRS international tax division for clarification (literally hours on hold), I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual IRS agent who specializes in international matters within 20 minutes. The IRS agent walked me through the exact reporting requirements for foreign inheritance as a resident alien and cleared up my confusion about FBAR filing requirements. Saved me potentially thousands in penalties for incorrect filing. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Before I used Claimyr, I was getting generic advice that didn't address my specific situation. The direct conversation with the IRS specialist gave me confidence that I was handling everything correctly. They also pointed me to specific IRS publications about foreign property inheritance that my tax preparer wasn't familiar with.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment above. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours and getting disconnected twice, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. Within 15 minutes I was speaking with an actual IRS representative who specialized in international reporting. They clarified exactly which forms I needed for my inheritance situation and confirmed that I needed to report the sale even though the property was foreign. The agent also explained how the Foreign Tax Credit would apply to any taxes I paid in the country where the property was located, which potentially saves me from double taxation. Getting this information directly from the IRS rather than interpreting tax publications myself gave me much more confidence. It was worth every penny not to spend another day on hold. I'm officially no longer a skeptic!

One important aspect that hasn't been mentioned yet is the potential need for an estate planner if you're expecting more inheritances in the future or if you need to develop a strategy for the assets once you receive them. While the CPA and tax attorney will help with the immediate inheritance and tax implications, an estate planner can help you develop a longer-term strategy for managing and potentially transferring these assets in the future, especially as a non-citizen. Non-citizens face different estate and gift tax rules than citizens, so planning ahead can save you significant money in the long run. Estate planners who work with non-citizens will understand these nuances.

Has anyone used online tax prep software for reporting foreign inheritance? I'm wondering if something like TurboTax or H&R Block can handle this kind of situation or if it's too complex for those platforms.