HOWARD LI CPA, CAA

Committed To Providing Global & International Tax Law Services

We have a professional team with rich practical experience and high quality. We listen to customer needs, help customers solve tax problems, and discover and grasp the gaps and opportunities in China and the United States tax laws. Our expertise helps to create solutions in areas of concern to customers.

Free Tax Consultation Hotline

Call Us: (888) 617-2088

About Us

HOWARD LI CPA, CAA

Howard Li CPA Office was founded in California in 1995 by Howard Li CPA, a famous California accountant. Howard Li CPA team is committed to providing global and international tax law services to assist companies and individuals around the world to develop in the United States. We have a professional team with rich practical experience and high quality. We listen to customer needs, help customers solve tax problems, and discover and grasp the gaps and opportunities in China and the United States tax laws. Our expertise helps to create solutions in areas of concern to customers.

Howard Li CPA team specializes in tax planning for new immigrants before and after immigration; tax settlement for Chinese and American companies in the United States; audits and negotiations with the IRS and state tax bureaus; and application and declaration of U.S. tax numbers.

Our Services

Committed To Providing Global & International Tax Law Services.

The team of Howard Li CPA office adheres to the consistent service concept: professional, accurate, and confidential to serve customers from all over the world.

HOWARD LI CPA, CAA

Case Study

Howard Li CPA team focus on customized legal tax planning for new immigrants, also for oversea cooperation. Provide comprehensive professional tax support for customer’s development in US, from immigration to after.

Our Advantages

Company Highlights

Professional Specialties

Howard Li CPA Office delivers exceptional accounting and financial management solutions rooted in decades of collective industry experience. We leverage cutting-edge analytical tools and deep regulatory knowledge to help businesses streamline their financial operations, maintain strict legal compliance, and maximize profitability. From meticulous bookkeeping and complex corporate auditing to strategic financial forecasting, our specialized expertise ensures your business builds a resilient foundation for long-term growth and market success.

Customized Tax Planning Services

We believe that every financial landscape is unique, which is why we reject one-size-fits-all solutions. Our proactive tax planning services are meticulously tailored to your specific personal or corporate objectives, helping you navigate shifting tax laws with complete confidence. By analyzing your unique financial structure, we identify legal deductions, credits, and strategic loopholes to significantly minimize your liability, shield your assets, and optimize your overall cash flow throughout the fiscal year.

Bilingual Professional Accountant Team

Communication is the cornerstone of financial trust, and our elite team of certified, bilingual accountants eliminates any language barriers to your success. Fluent in both English and Chinese, we seamlessly bridge cultural and regulatory gaps for domestic enterprises, international businesses, and multicultural families. We translate complex financial jargon and international tax compliance laws into clear, actionable insights, ensuring your cross-border transactions and local filings are perfectly executed.

FAQ

We're here to provide clear Tax guidance

Browse through our frequently asked questions to better understand our services, processes, and how we can support your Tax journey.

“ Smart Tax decision today create the foundation for sustainable growth. ”

Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien living outside the United States, your worldwide income is subject to U.S. income tax, regardless of where you live. However, you may qualify for certain foreign earned income exclusions and/or foreign income tax credits. Visit Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad, for additional information.

As a green card holder or U.S. citizen, you must file a U.S. income tax return while working and living abroad unless you abandon your green card holder status by filing Form I-407, with the U.S. Citizen & Immigration Service, or you renounce your U.S. citizenship under certain circumstances described in the expatriation tax provisions. Visit Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, for more information.

However, please note that a green card holder who is also a resident of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty, under that country’s domestic laws, may – if eligible – choose to be treated as a resident of that country under the residency tie breaker rules of the relevant treaty and must attach Form 8833, Treaty-Based Return Position Disclosure Under Section 6114 or 7701(b), to their U.S. income tax return.

In general, if you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien married to a nonresident alien, you are considered “Married Filing Separately” unless you qualify for a different filing status. If you pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home for yourself and a qualifying child or other relative, you may qualify for the head of household filing status.

For more information on the filing status requirements, visit Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.
Note: For tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017, and before Jan. 1, 2026, refer to repeal of personal exemptions.

As a green card holder, you generally are required to file a U.S. income tax return and report worldwide income no matter where you live.

However, if you surrender your green card or the U.S. Citizen & Immigration Service (USCIS) determines that you have abandoned your green card and takes it away from you, you will need to follow the nonresident alien requirements for filing a Form 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return. Visit Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, for more information.

You are a long-term resident for U.S. federal income tax purposes if you were a lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) in at least 8 of the last 15 tax years ending with the year your residency ends. In determining if you meet the 8-year requirement, do not count any year that you are treated as a resident of a foreign country under a tax treaty and do not waive treaty benefits.
If you are a long-term resident who has surrendered your green card, you may be subject to the expatriation tax. Please refer to the expatriation tax provisions in Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, and in later questions. In general, the expatriation tax provisions apply to U.S. citizens who have renounced their citizenship and long-term residents who have ended their residency. The rules that apply are based on the dates of expatriation.
An election by an individual under the tie-breaker rules to be treated as a nonresident of the United States can also trigger the expatriation tax (similar to relinquishing the green card) in the year the election is made if the other requirements are satisfied.
You may also be a dual status alien if you have been both a resident alien and a nonresident alien in the same tax year. Dual status does not refer to your citizenship, only to your resident status for tax purposes in the United States.
For the part of the year that you are a resident alien, you are taxed on income from all sources: inside and outside of the United States.
For the part from the time that you abandon your green card, you are taxed on income from U.S. source only.

Foreign persons are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate on gross income they receive from income not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. By providing a completed Form W-8 BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding, to the U.S. payer (also known as the U.S. withholding agent) before or at the time income is paid or credited, you are:
Establishing that you are not a U.S. person,
Claiming that you are the beneficial owner of the income for which Form W-8 BEN is being provided, and
If applicable, claiming a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding as a resident of a foreign country with which the United States has an income tax treaty. In order to claim a reduced rate or exemption from tax under an income tax treaty, the Form W-8 BEN must include a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number.
The completed Form W-8 BEN is provided to the U.S. payer (also known as the U.S. withholding agent) before or at the time income is paid or credited. This form is not filed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Visit Form W-8 BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding, for more information.

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