A Tax Expert in the U.S. Tax World: An Interview with Samet Oynamıs

Samet Oynamış, a tax professional who has been working for many years with foreign entrepreneurs, investors, and e-commerce companies in the United States, shares both his own career journey and the tax trends awaiting the business world as we move toward 2026.

— How did you enter the field of tax and accounting in the United States? How did your specialization process take shape?

My academic background is in Political Science and Public Administration at METU. During my university years, I came to the U.S. through the Work and Travel program, which became my first international work experience. That period laid the foundation for the idea of building a career in the United States.

I later returned to the U.S. for an internship at the United Nations and then worked at a private bank in the U.S., where I had the opportunity to closely understand how the financial system operates.

During these experiences, I realized that the area where immigrants struggle the most is the U.S. tax system. Even a simple form mistake could cause people to lose thousands of dollars. This was both unfair and a problem that could easily be solved with accurate information.

I became licensed as an Enrolled Agent with the IRS and established a practice focused on tax planning and corporate structuring for international entrepreneurs.

— How would you define your current area of expertise?

I summarize it briefly as follows:
“Tax planning, international company structuring, and compliance processes for entrepreneurs doing business or investing in the United States.”

I mainly work with real estate investors, e-commerce companies, software and creative agencies, and entrepreneurs preparing for immigration visa processes. Multinational income streams, entity selection (LLC vs. C-Corp), double taxation issues, and long-term tax strategies are the core focus areas of my practice.

— The U.S. tax system is quite complex. What are the areas investors struggle with the most?

First and foremost, state-level regulations. Learning the federal system is relatively straightforward, but more than 40 states have their own sales tax rules and “economic nexus” thresholds. Many e-commerce companies unknowingly become tax liable in multiple states.

The second major issue is FIRPTA withholding applied to real estate sales. Many foreign investors learn only on the day of sale that up to 15% of the sales price can be withheld.

The third issue is entity selection. The mindset of “everyone sets up a Delaware C-Corp” can sometimes put investors in a more costly and disadvantageous position rather than an optimal one.

— What are the prominent tax changes in the 2024–2025 period?

Inflation-adjusted tax brackets and increased standard deductions have slightly eased the burden on middle-income earners. With the 2024–2025 regulations, certain tip incomes and specific overtime payments being exempt from taxation created a significant advantage for employees.

From a business perspective, changes related to depreciation and bonus depreciation provided stronger tax deferral opportunities for companies making investments.

Retirement plans, child tax credits, and some temporary provisions were also updated. Overall, this environment makes year-end planning more critical than ever, because the tax impact of an expense incurred in the wrong year can now be much more significant.

— How do federal, state, and local taxes affect investment decisions?

In the U.S., taxation has three layers: federal + state + local.

Federal tax is the same for everyone, but state and local taxes completely change the landscape. For example, states with no personal income tax may appear attractive, but they often balance their budgets through higher sales taxes or other fees.

Therefore, investment decisions should not be based on a single tax, but on the total tax burden and how well it aligns with the business model.

— What is your first financial advice to entrepreneurs who want to come to the U.S. from Türkiye?

I usually recommend these five steps:

1. Organize your personal and corporate financial history.
   Ensure that your Turkish company’s last 2–3 years of balance sheets and income statements, your personal income records, and bank transactions are clear and well-organized. This is critical for both visa processes and credibility with U.S. banks.

2. Clarify your U.S. business model.
   The “we’ll figure it out later” approach does not work here. Is it e-commerce, services, real estate, or franchising? Each has different tax, licensing, and banking requirements.

3. Consult on the right entity type and state selection.
   Starting with a template “Delaware C-Corp” found online may be easy, but correcting the wrong structure later can be much more expensive.

4. Plan for at least 6–12 months of cash reserves.
   Setting up a company in the U.S. is inexpensive, but good lawyers, financial advisors, and compliance costs (software, licenses, insurance, etc.) can be higher than expected.

5. Calculate Türkiye–U.S. tax relations in advance.
   Issues such as double taxation, withholding taxes, profit distribution, and invoicing from Türkiye to the U.S. should be designed before operations begin—not afterward.

— What is the most common warning you give to those who want to come to the U.S. by setting up a company?

“Setting up a company in the U.S. is very easy; what truly matters is starting with the right structure.”

The most common mistake I see is opening an LLC in a random state just to be quick and cheap. A wrongly chosen entity type or state can later create serious problems—from opening bank accounts and raising investment to tax obligations and annual compliance costs.

For foreign entrepreneurs in particular, banking requirements, payment infrastructures like Stripe and PayPal, state-level reporting obligations, franchise taxes, and the legal-financial structure that emerges once investors come in are all interconnected.

In short: in the U.S., it’s not just about opening a company, but opening it with the right structure. If you don’t set it up correctly, you hit a wall halfway through your growth journey. That’s why I always say:

“First the business model and tax strategy, then the company.”

With proper planning, the U.S. becomes one of the most advantageous markets in the world for scaling.

— What taxes do Turkish e-commerce companies face when entering the U.S. market?

The most critical issue in e-commerce is sales tax. The 2018 Wayfair decision granted states the right to impose tax liability on companies that exceed certain sales volumes or transaction counts—even without physical presence. As a result, many businesses unknowingly become tax liable in multiple states.

Additionally, companies using FBA warehouses can establish nexus in every state where their products are stored.

When federal income tax, customs obligations, product-specific regulations, and reporting requirements are added, a comprehensive compliance strategy becomes unavoidable in the U.S. e-commerce market.

— What are the most important tax issues for foreign investors in U.S. real estate?

The taxation of rental income, FIRPTA withholding upon sale, and estate tax risk are the three most critical issues for foreign investors.

In addition, property tax rates—varying by state and county—directly affect net returns; in some states, property taxes can even exceed annual rental income.

Therefore, ownership structure (personal, LLC, or layered entities), the source of financing, property tax burden, and exit strategy must be designed from day one. A wrong decision in real estate can be far more costly to fix later—and in some cases, irreversible.

— How have interest rate policies and inflation changed tax planning?

The high-interest environment has somewhat ended the era of “we’ll borrow and write it off as an expense.” Companies now have to consider cash flow, interest burden, and tax planning simultaneously. Although inflation has increased tax brackets and deduction limits, income-expense timing now requires much finer tuning.

Rising healthcare costs are another factor. Many people now say, “If healthcare is expensive anyway, at least let’s open a Health Savings Account and benefit from the tax advantages.” Economic conditions are shaping not only investment decisions but even healthcare spending strategies.

— Finally, how do you see U.S. tax trends for 2025 and beyond?

Several key themes will shape the U.S. tax landscape in 2025 and beyond. First, with potential changes in administration, increases in customs duties are back on the agenda. Higher tariffs on imports—especially from China and certain strategic sectors—could lead to a restructuring of production and supply chains.

At the same time, policies aimed at easing the tax burden on the middle class are frequently discussed. The tax exemption of tips and certain overtime payments has increased net income for employees and brought many service-sector workers’ earnings into formal reporting for the first time. An interesting side effect is easier access to credit—especially auto and mortgage loans—due to documented income.

States’ tendency to expand sales tax coverage and increase taxation of digital services is also expected to continue. Energy transition, electric vehicle incentives, and sustainability-focused tax credits are likely to remain high on the business agenda for a long time.

In summary, there is no single dominant theme in the post-2025 tax world. Trade policies, income formalization, and state-level digital taxation are all evolving simultaneously. Success in business will therefore depend not just on tax rates, but on the ability to adapt quickly to a changing system.