Olivier Wagner

U.S. citizens and Green Card holders living abroad must pass either the Bona Fide Residence Test or the Physical Presence Test in order to qualify for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Using this exclusion is one of the most popular and legal ways to reduce your tax burden. However, just living overseas doesn’t automatically make you pass either of the tests. In this blog post, we will explain what the Bona Fide Residence Test really is. We will also share with you how to qualify for it and the most common mistakes by U.S. expats make with this test.

How To Qualify For Bona Fide Residence TestAas American Living Overseas

As we mentioned earlier, sometimes just living abroad isn’t enough to qualify for the Bona Fide Residence Test. Out of two tests, which make you eligible for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, the Bona Fide Residence test is slightly more complicated. In practice, it gives you more days to spend in the US per year. However, it has more challenging requirements to meet.

Read More

John Dundon

The following was prepared by IRS Employees Bethany Barclay, Technical Specialist LB&I Division & Tracy McFee, CPA Technical Specialist LB&I Division regarding Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE).

Tracy and I met as guest panelists on the hit TV Show Tax Talk Today: Aliens, Immigration, and Taxes—Navigating the Shoals and I’ve grown to truly appreciate her knowledge base and skill set. She is a respectable public servant who I thank for allowing me to share her efforts in this venue.

Read More

John Dundon

We get all sorts of fascinating questions from established US taxpayers in addition to those experiencing internationalism for the first time. It seems, regardless of the degree of sophistication in US income tax filing obligations, most people are out to lunch when it comes to arcane acronyms and filing requirements.

Read More

Ephraim Moss

One of the most common tax relief measures available to U.S. expats is the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE). If you qualify, you may be able to exclude all or part of your foreign salary/wages from your income when filing your U.S. federal tax return. Here are five key tips to keep in mind regarding the exclusion:

Read More