Tag Archive for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion For U.S. Expatriates

Even if you have left the United States for a brighter future elsewhere, you  (something not as strong) take a moment and think about any obligations you have towards the IRS. The US retains its right to tax globally its citizens and resident aliens who are a citizen or national of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty in effect. Only two countries have such a citizenship-based taxation system: the United States and Eritrea.

What Is A Foreign Earned Income Exclusion For U.S. Expats?

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) is offered to US citizens and resident aliens that are living abroad on a consistent basis, have earned income in a foreign country and can prove that they have done so for the past tax year by satisfying either the Physical Presence Test or the Bona Fide Residence. Read More

Written by | Posted in Expatriate • Expatriate Taxes • Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

U.S. Tax Considerations For The Digital Nomad Living Abroad

In today’s age of “digital nomads,” the idea of working remotely overseas continues to grow in popularity. New programs, such as Remote Year, have further facilitated overseas commuting by organizing year-long trips for employees and freelancers to live in multiple cities abroad. Participants, for example, travel in groups to live in multiple cities throughout Europe, Asia and South America, for one month each over a year period.

Working abroad presents a number of unique U.S. income tax issues and opportunities for the digital nomad.  One main issue is qualification for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (“FEIE”), which allows U.S. citizens living abroad to exclude their foreign earned income from U.S. federal taxation. Another important issue is a digital nomad’s potential liability for state and local taxation even during their time living and working abroad. Read More

Written by | Posted in Foreign Earned Income Exclusion • Tax Home

Claiming the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion when Filing a Late Return – What US Expats Need to Know

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion lets US expats exclude the first around $100,000 (the exact figure rises a little each year) of their earned income from US taxes.

It’s a great choice for many expats who earn less than this threshold, and sometimes a good option for expats who earn above the threshold too.

To claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, expats have to file form 2555 with their annual US tax return. Form 2555 requires expats to prove that they live abroad.

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Written by | Posted in Expatriate • Foreign Earned Income • International • IRS

Exactly What Income Can U.S. Expats Exclude? FEIE

American expats are, unfortunately, still required to file U.S. taxes from abroad. Thankfully though, there are several exclusions that reduce or in most cases eliminate their U.S. tax liability. The foremost among these is the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Not owing U.S. taxes doesn’t exempt expats from having to file a U.S. tax return though, as the exclusions that reduce or eliminate U.S. tax liability for expats must be claimed each year when expats file their federal return. Read More

Written by | Posted in International

A Quick Refresher On The Foreign Tax Credit

Ephraim Moss, foreign tax credits, expat, tax professional

One of the fundamentally important tax concepts for U.S. expats to know is that the U.S. tax system has built-in mechanisms for preventing the “double taxation” of your income (i.e., tax in both your new host country and in the United States). These mechanisms provide a measure of relief for U.S. expats who remain subject to U.S. taxation, despite living and working abroad.

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Written by | Posted in Foreign Tax Credits

Late Filing The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

Ephraim Moss

We’ve blogged a number of times in the past about the foreign earned income exclusion (“FEIE”), because it is one of the main tax relief measures available to expats filing U.S. tax returns. Expats qualifying for the FEIE may be able to exclude all or part of their foreign salary or wages from their income when filing their return – so its importance can’t be overstated.

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Written by | Posted in Expatriate

Digital Nomads And The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

Ephraim Moss

In today’s age of “digital nomads,” working remotely overseas has become increasingly popular. More companies are adding remote working options in order to benefit from a broader talent pool and give employees more lifestyle choices.

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Written by | Posted in Foreign Income

U.S. Expats and IRS Tax Refunds

Ephraim Moss

A number of clients have asked us whether a U.S. expat can receive a tax refund from the IRS despite living overseas. While the answer to this question can be nuanced depending on the circumstances, the general rule is that living overseas does not preclude an expat from entitlement to a refund that is otherwise due to the individual.

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Written by | Posted in Expatriate • IRS • Tax Refund

Expat Tax Tips For The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

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:

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Written by | Posted in Foreign Income • Foreign Tax Credits

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion – Timing is Everything!

Not many U.S. expatriates realize that the foreign earned income exclusion is an election and is not automatic. In a recent tax court Nancy McDonald learnt this in a painful way when her exclusion was denied. Nancy McDonald V. Commissioner TC Memo 2015-169.

IRC Section 911(a) provides that a qualified individual may elect to exclude from gross income the foreign earned income of such individual. To qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion (FEIE), the taxpayer must satisfy a three-part test:

1. Taxpayer must be a U.S. citizen who is a bona fide resident of a foreign country for an entire taxable year or physically present in a foreign country during at least 330 days out of a 12-month period, sec. 911(d)(1); Read More

Written by | Posted in Expatriate

Don’t Mistake Gin For “GIIN,” Or You May Suffer From More Than Just a Hangover!

In a recent blog entitled, “FATCA GIIN January 2015 FFI Registration Analysis … by the numbers,” Professor William Byrnes provides a brilliant commentary on the IRS’s publication of its first FATCA GIIN list of the new year (published on New Years Day!). The FATCA GIIN list is a list of “approved FFIs (Foreign Financial Institutions)” that have registered on the IRS FATCA portal by December 23, 2014.

For those who have never heard of a “GIIN” and who may have initially confused it with a certain type of drink that mixes exceptionally well with tonic, GIIN stands for “Global Intermediary Identification Number.” A Foreign Financial Institution (FFI) that registers on the “FATCA Registration Website,” upon approval, receives a Global Intermediary Identification Number (GIIN) from the IRS (unless the FFI is treated as a Limited FFI). The GIIN is a Read More

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Application of Foreign Earned Income Exclusion to Civilian Contractors Working In Combat Zones – Part II

This is Part II of a two-part blog series. After establishing that they have a tax home in a foreign country, taxpayers must still establish that they satisfy the 330 day physical presence test or the bona fide residence test. See IRC section 911(d)(1).

I. 330 Day Physical Presence Test

The 330 day physical presence test is the epitome of a “hard and fast rule.” To satisfy the test, the taxpayer must establish the following (there are “no ifs, ands, or buts about it”):

(1) That he is a U.S. citizen or resident of the United States, and

(2) That he was physically present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 full days Read More

Written by | Posted in Individual • International
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