Key Facts to Know (2026)

• Cross-border tax adviser cost typical: USD $400-1,000/hour or fixed retainer

• International lawyer typical: USD $500-1,500/hour depending on jurisdiction

• Bookkeeper for nomad business: USD $200-800/month

• Immigration lawyer for residency application: USD $2K-15K depending on jurisdiction/complexity

• International health insurance broker: typically commission-based (free to client)

• Investment adviser for expat/nomad: varies; some hourly, some AUM-based

These are market averages, not FTR prices - FTR offers complete packages utilising volume pricing with our extensive Partner network, and through packaging our services the total becomes heavily discounted.

The Advisers a Nomad Actually Needs

• Cross-border tax adviser. The most important. Understands both your home country’s exit rules and destination country’s residency rules. Not the same as a general accountant.

• Home country tax adviser (final filings for most nationalities, or ongoing for US citizens). For proper exit filings from home country. Sometimes the same person as cross-border adviser.

• Destination country tax adviser. For proper entry into new tax residency. Sometimes bundled with cross-border adviser.

• Immigration lawyer. For residency applications and status maintenance.

• Bookkeeper for business. If running a business, cross-border capable bookkeeper.

• Corporate lawyer (if structuring). For entity formation and structuring.

• Insurance broker (international health). Specialist in expat/nomad health coverage.

• Wealth adviser (as size warrants). For investment planning across borders.

• Estate planner (as complexity warrants). For cross-border estate planning.

Common Nomad Team-Building Mistakes

• Only using home-country adviser. They understand where you were, not where you’re going.

• Only using destination-country adviser. They understand your new country but not the exit obligations you carry.

• Using generalist advisers unfamiliar with cross-border. Missed CFC issues, missed exit tax planning, missed VAT registration.

• Cheap advisers on high-stakes decisions. Trying to save on tax adviser when the tax decision is worth six figures is unwise.

• Uncoordinated advisers. Your tax adviser, immigration lawyer, and bookkeeper need to talk. Uncoordinated advice creates gaps.

• Waiting until problems emerge. Reactive planning costs vastly more than proactive.

What “Good” Looks Like for Nomads

For a nomad with an active small business or a high income as a contractor (say $200K-500K income) operating across borders, a functioning advisory setup packaged with FTR typically costs USD $7k-17k annually, or might cost USD $10K-30K annually if you purchase services separately at market price.

Feels expensive until you consider:   

• Missed exit tax event: hundreds of thousands   

• Missed CFC issue: 30-50% of annual profit   

• Missed FBAR filing: $10K+ per year per account penalties   

• Missed VAT registration: multi-year back-VAT   

• Missed departure tax planning: substantial

Good advice pays for itself many times over. Additionally, if you get good tax efficiency planning advice and utilise business-friendly jurisdictions (FTR’s specialty) you can usually make a large net saving due to huge tax savings - as a general bench-mark if we agree to take you on as a client we’ll be aiming to save you a minimum of 2x our total fees in tax savings, and for most of our clients it’s 4-10x or more savings per year.

Warning Signs of Bad Advice

• Adviser suggests “just don’t tell anyone”

• Adviser doesn’t understand your citizenship-specific rules (US CBT especially)

• Adviser hasn’t worked with nomads/expats specifically

• Adviser is confident about cross-border planning without checking specifics

• Adviser makes tax-savings promises without acknowledging risk or addressing downsides/compliance hurdles

• Adviser doesn’t ask about your other countries of residence/presence

How FTR Fits In

FTR specialises in cross-border tax and structural planning, particularly for:   LATAM cross-border (especially Panama, Colombia)   Digital nomads across LATAM, Europe, and beyond   Business owners emigrating from high-tax jurisdictions   HNW personal residency planning   Cross-border wealth structural planningWe work alongside your existing advisers (or introduce specialists we trust) to build a functioning integrated team.

A final note on FTR: If we don’t believe a specific service is worth it for your situation, we’ll tell you why; we’re here for the long-haul, so (selfishly) it’s not in our interests to take quick money at the expense of our reputation.