US citizen living overseas

michele_colter
New Member
1 0 0

I am a US citizen but I live in the UAE.  Of course I have a SSN, I also have a US bank account that I would like to use for Shopify payments.  My question is, can I legally start my Shopify business with a US address, shipping to US customers,  and pay US taxes if I don't actually live there and I have no plans on visiting this year? My husband and I already file jointly as expats, would this create a conflict?  UAE Shopify users tell me they run into issues actually getting paid here.  Specifically challenges with payment processors, making  things increasingly difficult to have a decent payment system in place without paying extortionate fees.  I 

Reply 1 (1)
Alex23
Shopify Staff (Retired)
Shopify Staff (Retired)
529 1 120

Hey, Michele!

My name is Alex, I'm a guru here at Shopify!

Thanks for reaching out today!  Your best source of information on your store setup would be to reach out to a US tax expert; determining to what extent your location affects your tax nexus can be a complex issue, and we'd be loath to give you misleading advice.  

In terms of payment processors, we have a listing of gateways available in your area right over here; 2Checkout and PayPal are two options that have proven very popular with our merchants!  As these are third party solutions, we can't speak on what fees they may charge; but you can always reach out to them to find out more about their policies, and reach a decision on what option works best for your business.

Hope that's helped!  Please feel free to let me know, and you can always give us a call or start a live chat at any time.  We're open 24/7 for your convenience and always happy to assist!

Cheers,

Alex | Shopify Guru

Alex | Shopify 
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