Guide · 6 min read

Digital Nomad Taxes: What to Actually Ask Your Accountant

"Where do I pay the least tax" is the wrong first question. The right first question is "where am I a tax resident," because that determines your legal obligations regardless of what you'd prefer to pay. Here's what an accountant who actually understands cross-border cases needs to know, and what you should ask them.

Tax residency isn't about where you feel based — it's about specific rules

Most countries use some combination of: days physically present (often a 183-day threshold), where your "center of vital interests" is (family, primary home, main economic activity), or citizenship-based rules (the US taxes based on citizenship regardless of residency). You can be a tax resident of more than one country simultaneously, which is exactly where double taxation treaties matter.

Questions to bring to your first accountant meeting

1. Based on my actual travel pattern this year, which country am I a tax resident of — not which I'd prefer?
2. Does my home country have a double taxation treaty with my current country of residence, and how does it apply to my income type?
3. Am I required to file in more than one country this year, even if I don't owe additional tax?
4. What specific records do I need to keep (day counts, income source documentation) to support my residency claim if questioned?
5. If I'm on a digital nomad visa, does that visa status affect my tax residency, or are they entirely separate questions?

The mistake that causes the most problems later

Not tracking days spent in each country. Tax residency questions almost always come down to a specific day count, and reconstructing a year of travel from memory during an audit is far harder than keeping a simple running log from the start.

Find an accountant who specializes in this, not one who tolerates it

Cross-border tax for remote workers is a specific niche. A generalist accountant handling it as a one-off case is more likely to miss treaty provisions or filing deadlines specific to your situation than someone who works with digital nomads regularly.

This guide is for general information only and isn't tax advice. Tax rules vary significantly by country and change frequently — consult a qualified accountant or tax attorney about your specific situation.