US-UK cross-border specialists

A US person in the UK usually needs two advisers, not one. The reason is regulatory rather than commercial: most UK firms authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority hold no US registration, and most US-registered advisers hold no UK permissions, so neither can lawfully do the other's half of the job.

Which one you need

A US tax adviser prepares your US return and the reporting that comes with living abroad. They cannot tell you whether to transfer a UK pension, because advising on a UK pension transfer is a regulated activity here and requires FCA authorisation.

An FCA-authorised financial adviser can tell you what to do with a UK pension or investment. They cannot advise you on US securities or file your US return, because that side needs registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and a US qualification.

A small number of firms hold authorisation on both sides and can coordinate the two. Where a firm listed here does, it is noted, because it is the exception rather than the normal arrangement.

What it takes to be listed

These are the rules, published so you can hold the list to them.

• A UK presence, or a demonstrated US-UK cross-border practice serving UK residents.
• A named specialism in US-person or US-UK cross-border work. General accountancy with an expat page on the site does not qualify.
• For financial advice firms, current FCA authorisation, checked against the FCA register. The firm reference number is printed beside the entry so you can check the same record.
• For tax firms, a stated professional credential: IRS Enrolled Agent, CPA, CTA, ATT, or a qualification in both countries.
• No payment, referral fee or commercial arrangement of any kind influences whether a firm is listed or where it appears. There are no affiliate links on this page and no paid placement, and entries are ordered alphabetically so the list carries no ranking. The rules that keep money out of the rest of the site are in the editorial code.

Every entry is checked before it appears: the FCA register for regulated firms, the credential as claimed, that the firm still markets US-UK work, and that the location is what it says it is. A firm that has not been through that is not shown, however plausible the lead. Naming a firm reads as a recommendation whether or not it is meant as one, so an unchecked candidate is held back rather than shown with a caveat.