Qorri Tax Service provides specialized international tax advisory services to businesses and individuals in the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond. As an international tax advisor in Chicago, we help clients navigate complex cross-border tax planning, compliance requirements, and strategic structuring decisions that most general practitioners rarely encounter.
Whether you're a foreign entrepreneur establishing U.S. operations, a Chicago-based business expanding internationally, or a U.S. person with foreign financial interests, our practice delivers focused expertise across your complete tax engagement. We handle federal returns, state compliance, and international reporting as one seamless project — so you never need to coordinate between multiple firms.
Our international tax practice serves a diverse range of clients, from closely held businesses to individual investors with cross-border interests. Chicago's position as a global business hub means we regularly work with clients across multiple industries and ownership structures. Many of our clients come to us after realizing their current tax preparer lacks the specialized knowledge to handle international matters properly.
European, Asian, and Latin American parent companies with U.S. operations in Chicago requiring Form 5472 compliance, transfer pricing documentation, and withholding tax management.
Chicago-based businesses establishing foreign subsidiaries and needing Form 5471 preparation, GILTI planning, Subpart F analysis, and foreign tax credit optimization.
U.S. citizens and residents living abroad who need ongoing U.S. tax compliance, FBAR filing, FATCA reporting, and coordination with foreign tax advisors.
Individuals with foreign investments, PFICs, ownership in foreign partnerships, or foreign trusts requiring specialized reporting and planning.
International tax issues rarely come in simple packages. Most clients arrive with situations that involve multiple overlapping requirements, tight deadlines, or past compliance gaps that need careful remediation. Here are some of the scenarios we regularly address:
International tax compliance involves a web of specialized forms and regulations that most tax professionals encounter infrequently, if at all. Our Chicago-based practice handles these matters routinely, which means we understand not just how to complete the forms, but how they interact with each other and with your broader tax situation:
We believe in a structured approach that respects your time while ensuring we fully understand your situation before proposing solutions. Here's how we typically work with new clients:
We begin with a free consultation to understand your situation, identify the key issues, and determine whether our expertise is the right fit for your needs. This is a working session, not a sales call.
If we're a good match, we provide a clear engagement letter outlining the scope of work, timeline, and fees. We work on a project or retainer basis depending on your needs.
We gather the necessary information, perform the technical analysis, and prepare any required filings or planning recommendations. We keep you informed throughout the process.
Many international tax matters are recurring. We offer ongoing advisory relationships for clients who need year-round support, annual compliance, and strategic planning.
Large accounting firms certainly have international tax departments, but they often reserve their best talent for the biggest clients and highest-fee engagements. At Qorri Tax Service, international tax is our core focus, not a sideline. This means:
Every client situation is unique, but here are examples of the types of projects we regularly handle. Details have been anonymized to protect confidentiality:
Foreign SaaS Company Entering the U.S. Market: A European software company formed a U.S. subsidiary to serve North American customers. We advised on entity structure selection, established Form 5472 compliance from day one, and created transfer pricing documentation for intercompany licensing arrangements.
U.S. Manufacturer with Latin American Subsidiary: A Chicago-area manufacturing company opened a subsidiary in Mexico to serve regional customers. We provided GILTI planning, foreign tax credit analysis, and ongoing Form 5471 preparation, reducing their effective tax rate on foreign earnings by structuring the operation appropriately.
Professional Services Firm with Foreign Contractors: A U.S. consulting firm was paying contractors in several countries without understanding their withholding obligations. We reviewed their payment flows, established proper W-8 documentation procedures, and filed corrective 1042-S forms for prior years.
Pre-Transaction Cleanup for Private Equity Exit: An investor-backed company preparing for sale discovered years of missed Form 5471 filings for a dormant foreign subsidiary. We remediated the filings, prepared penalty abatement requests, and provided representations for the transaction due diligence process.
International tax issues often surface at specific moments. If any of these situations apply to you, it may be time to seek specialized guidance:
When you engage us for an international tax review, here's what you can expect:
It depends on the complexity of your situation. Many excellent CPAs handle domestic tax matters expertly but have limited exposure to international forms and regulations. If your CPA is unfamiliar with Form 5471, GILTI calculations, or foreign tax credit limitations, you likely need specialized help. The penalties for international information returns are severe - often $10,000 to $25,000 per form - making expert guidance a prudent investment.
Foreign-owned U.S. corporations and LLCs typically must file Form 5472 to report related-party transactions with their foreign owners. They may also have withholding obligations under Section 1446 or Chapter 3, requiring Forms 1042 and 1042-S. Transfer pricing documentation is often required to support intercompany pricing. The specific requirements depend on the entity structure, ownership percentage, and types of transactions.
GILTI (Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income) is a tax on certain income earned by controlled foreign corporations. If you're a U.S. shareholder of a foreign corporation, GILTI may require you to include certain foreign earnings in your U.S. taxable income, even if those earnings are not distributed. The impact varies significantly depending on whether you hold the CFC through a C corporation, S corporation, partnership, or directly as an individual.
Absolutely. While we're based in Park Ridge (a Chicago suburb), we work with clients throughout the United States and internationally. Most of our collaboration happens via video calls, secure document sharing, and email. International tax issues don't require in-person meetings, and we're experienced at working with clients in different time zones.
Our fees depend on the complexity of your situation. Initial consultations are billed at an hourly rate, and ongoing engagements are typically structured as fixed-fee projects or retainers. We provide clear fee estimates before beginning work and don't surprise clients with unexpected charges. For many clients, the cost of proper international tax guidance is far less than the penalties and additional taxes that result from non-compliance.
This is more common than you might think. Many taxpayers are unaware of their international filing obligations until years after they should have begun filing. Options may include the IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures (for non-willful non-compliance), voluntary disclosure, or reasonable cause penalty abatement requests. We can help you assess your situation and determine the best path forward.
If you want a focused look at how international tax rules apply to your company, you can request a 30-minute consultation to review your structure and next steps. As an international tax advisor in Chicago, Qorri Tax Service provides substantive, project-based guidance - not generic overviews.
Free initial consultation - Designed for complex matters