Money questions for US digital nomads split into two buckets: what you owe the IRS, and how you actually move and access money while living abroad. This page indexes every guide we’ve published on both, so you can find the specific piece you need without digging through the blog. As with our visa guides, every tax claim here is checked against IRS publications, not secondary tax-blog summaries.
This guide is updated as we publish new tax and finance research. Last updated: July 2026. Nothing here is personalized tax advice — confirm your specific situation with a qualified tax professional.
US Taxes While Abroad
- How the FEIE Really Works — the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, what changed in 2026, and why it doesn’t erase self-employment tax.
- US Estimated Taxes: 2026 Deadlines & Penalties — the quarterly requirement self-employed nomads owe even when the FEIE zeroes out their income tax.
- Do Crypto Taxes Work Differently Abroad? — how the new IRS Form 1099-DA reporting rule works, and what still doesn’t get reported for you.
- The 183-Day Rule Explained — how tax residency actually works once you cross that line, country by country.
- FBAR: Do You Need to File? — the $10,000 threshold, Form 8938, and what counts as a foreign account.
- US State Residency: The Domicile Guide — Florida, Texas, and South Dakota domicile rules compared.
- US LLC for Digital Nomads — what it costs, what it unlocks, and who actually needs one.
- Retirement Savings: IRA & 401(k) Rules — how the FEIE complicates retirement account contributions.
- Self-Employment Tax: What FEIE Doesn’t Cover — why the FEIE doesn’t erase the 15.3% self-employment tax bill, and what it actually costs.
Banking & Getting Paid
- Banking Setup: Wise, Revolut, Schwab & N26 — how to avoid $1,000+ a year in avoidable fees.
- Best Bank Accounts, Compared — what’s actually working for location-independent banking in 2026.
- Wise vs Payoneer vs PayPal — receiving fees, FX markups, and withdrawal costs compared.
- Best Credit Cards, Compared — cards that skip foreign transaction fees and add travel perks.
Investing & Brokerage Accounts
- Best Brokerage Accounts, Compared — IBKR, Schwab, and Fidelity on how they handle sudden address changes.
- Investing With No Fixed Address — how brokerage accounts and tax residency actually interact.
Income & Side Income
- Best Freelance Platforms, Compared — Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal on fees and payout timelines.
- 7 Legit Ways to Make Money While Traveling — with honest pay ranges, not vague promises.
Insurance
- SafetyWing vs World Nomads vs Genki — which nomad insurance fits which situation.
- SafetyWing Claim Denied: What to Do Next — the appeal window, proof-of-claim deadline, and how to opt out of arbitration, from the current policy document.
Related Guides
- Digital Nomad Visas: The Complete Guide — your destination visa affects some of these tax and residency questions.
- Bali Cost of Living — see what a real monthly budget looks like once income and taxes are sorted.