How long is a quote valid?
The quote states its own validity period, and where a deadline is close it will also say what changes if the work starts after that deadline — because a return filed late is a different piece of work from one filed on time.
Is the quote binding on you?
For the scope it describes, yes. That is the point of quoting in writing after scoping properly rather than giving a number on the phone before anyone knows what is due.
What counts as a change of scope?
Something that adds a filing, a year, a country or an entity to the set — or a record that turns out to need rebuilding rather than reading. Volume of questions, extra document batches and a file being technically interesting do not count.
Does a written quote name the specific documents and years it covers?
Yes — a quote sets out the scope in enough detail that both sides know exactly what is being priced, which typically means the specific return, the years or entities involved, and any particular complications already identified rather than a general description of the service.
What happens to items not explicitly listed in a quote's scope?
Anything outside the stated scope is not covered by the quoted figure, which is why the quote states what is included as specifically as possible — a gap in the stated scope is either addressed by a follow-up question before the quote is finalised, or priced separately once identified.
Can a quote be adjusted before work starts if a client provides new information?
Yes — if new information changes the actual scope of what needs to be done, the quote can be revised before anything is prepared, which is preferable to discovering the mismatch partway through the engagement.
Does a quote include the review step before a return is filed?
Yes — the quote covers the completed engagement through to the client's review of the finished work, not just the preparation itself, since the review step is part of what the fixed fee is agreed for.
Do American citizens living abroad have to pay taxes?
American expats and green card holders need to file US returns for life, and many of them pay little or no US tax once the relief is applied — but the filing is what unlocks the relief, so the two questions have different answers. The exclusion for foreign earned income, the credit for foreign tax already paid and the treaty between the two countries between them usually leave the total at roughly the higher of the two countries' tax rather than the sum. Skip the return and none of it applies. See Americans abroad.
Is double taxation legal?
Yes. Nothing prevents two countries from taxing the same income under their own domestic law — each is exercising its own jurisdiction. What treaties and credit systems do is relieve the outcome rather than prohibit the charge, and relief is generally something you must claim on a return or a form, not something applied automatically. Miss the claim and the double charge stands. Double taxation explains the mechanism.
