Jorge I. Rivas, EA
Your Specialist for Life Abroad
A federally licensed Enrolled Agent with a single focus: helping Americans living abroad navigate US tax law accurately, confidently, and without the stress it doesn’t need to be.
Who I Am & What I Do
My name is Jorge I. Rivas. I am a federally licensed IRS Enrolled Agent, and I specialize exclusively in US tax compliance and planning for Americans living outside the United States.
The tax situation of an American abroad is genuinely different from a domestic return — and most preparers, even experienced ones, rarely encounter it. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, housing exclusion amounts that differ by city, Physical Presence and Bona Fide Residence tests, FBAR and FATCA requirements, state tax obligations that follow you across borders, treaty analysis — these are not edge cases to me. They are my entire practice.
I serve clients in more than 15 countries across the Gulf region, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Europe, and beyond. My clients are international school teachers, missionaries and ministry workers, expat professionals, remote workers, and business owners — all living abroad, all with US filing obligations, and all deserving of accurate, specialized guidance.
My practice is 100% remote. We meet via video call, you upload documents through a secure portal, and I handle everything from preparation to IRS correspondence. I file electronically as an authorized IRS e-File provider. You never need to visit an office or mail anything.
I chose to specialize in international tax because the need is real, the complexity is significant, and the right guidance makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives — and their returns.
Why Work With an Enrolled Agent?
An Enrolled Agent (EA) is the highest credential the IRS awards. EAs are federally licensed tax practitioners who have demonstrated expertise in tax law through a rigorous examination — the IRS Special Enrollment Examination — and are authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS on any matter, at any level.
Unlike a CPA — whose expertise spans accounting, auditing, and finance — or a tax attorney who focuses primarily on disputes, an Enrolled Agent is a tax specialist. That is the entire scope of the credential. For complex situations like expat tax, that focus matters.
Within that specialization, I have focused further: I work exclusively with Americans abroad. This means every continuing education hour, every professional development effort, and every client situation I encounter deepens my expertise in exactly the area you need.
17 Years Building an Expat Tax Practice
From first tax season to Managing Partner — specializing exclusively in US tax for Americans living abroad. Here are the milestones that shaped the practice.