2012 Instructions For Form 2555-Ez - Foreign Earned Income Exclusion printable pdf download

2012

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

Instructions for Form

2555-EZ

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

Additional Information

The term “foreign country ” does not

Section references are to the Internal Revenue

Code unless otherwise noted.

include U.S. possessions or territories. It

Pub. 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and

does not include the Antarctic region.

Future Developments

Resident Aliens Abroad, has more

information about the bona fide residence

Who Qualifies

For the latest information about

test, the physical presence test, and the

developments related to Form 2555-EZ

You can use Form 2555-EZ to claim the

foreign earned income exclusion. You can

and its instructions, such as legislation

foreign earned income exclusion if all of

get this publication from most U.S.

enacted after they were published, go to

the following apply.

Embassies and consulates or by writing

You meet the seven conditions listed at

to: National Distribution Center, 1201 N.

the top of Form 2555-EZ.

Mitsubishi Motorway, Bloomington, IL

What's New

Your total foreign earned income

61705-6613. You can also download this

received in 2012 is reported on Form

publication (as well as other forms and

Exclusion amount. For 2012, the

1040, line 7.

publications) at IRS.gov.

maximum exclusion has increased to

You do not have a housing deduction

$95,100.

Waiver of Time

carryover from 2011.

You meet either the bona fide residence

Requirements

General Instructions

test (see the instructions for lines 1a and

If your tax home was in a foreign country

1b, later) or the physical presence test

and you were a bona fide resident of, or

Do not include on Form 1040,

(see the instructions for lines 2a and 2b,

physically present in, a foreign country

line 62 (federal income tax

later).

and had to leave because of war, civil

withheld), any taxes a foreign

You meet the tax home test (see the

CAUTION

unrest, or similar adverse conditions, the

employer withheld from your pay and paid

instructions for line 3, later).

to the foreign country's tax authority

minimum time requirements specified

Note. Income from working abroad as an

instead of to the U.S. Treasury.

under the bona fide residence and

employee of the U.S. Government does

physical presence tests may be waived.

not qualify for the foreign earned income

You must be able to show that you

Purpose of Form

exclusion. Do not file Form 2555-EZ.

reasonably could have expected to meet

If you qualify, you can use Form 2555-EZ

the minimum time requirements if you had

Married Couples

instead of Form 2555, Foreign Earned

not been required to leave. Each year the

Income, to figure your foreign earned

If both you and your spouse qualify for,

IRS will publish in the Internal Revenue

income exclusion. You cannot exclude

and choose to claim, the foreign earned

Bulletin a list of the only countries that

more than your foreign earned income for

income exclusion, figure the amount of the

qualify for the waiver for the previous year

the year.

exclusion separately for each of you. You

and the dates they qualify. If you left one

must each complete separate Forms

of the countries during the period

General Information

2555-EZ.

indicated, you can claim the foreign

earned income exclusion on Form

If you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident

Community income. The amount of the

2555-EZ, but only for the number of days

alien living in a foreign country, you are

exclusion is not affected by the

you were a bona fide resident of, or

subject to the same U.S. income tax laws

income-splitting provisions of community

physically present in, the foreign country.

that apply to citizens and resident aliens

property laws. The sum of the amounts

living in the United States.

figured separately for each of you is the

If you can claim the foreign earned

total amount excluded on a joint return.

income exclusion because of the waiver of

Note. Specific rules apply to determine if

time requirements, attach a statement to

you are a resident or nonresident alien of

Travel to Cuba

your return explaining that you expected to

the United States. See Pub. 519, U.S. Tax

meet the applicable time requirement, but

Guide for Aliens, for details.

Generally, if you were in Cuba in violation

the conditions in the foreign country

of U.S. travel restrictions, the following

Foreign country. A foreign country is

prevented you from the normal conduct of

rules apply.

any territory under the sovereignty of a

business. Also, enter “Claiming Waiver” in

Any time spent in Cuba cannot be

government other than that of the United

the top margin on page 1 of your Form

counted in determining if you qualify under

States.

2555-EZ.

the bona fide residence or physical

The term “foreign country” includes the

presence test.

When To File

country's territorial waters and airspace,

Any income earned in Cuba is not

but not international waters and the

considered foreign earned income.

Form 1040 is generally due April 15, 2013.

airspace above them. It also includes the

However, you are automatically

seabed and subsoil of those submarine

Note. If you performed services at the

granted a 2-month extension of time to file

areas adjacent to the country's territorial

U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, you

(to June 17, 2013) if, on the due date of

waters over which it has exclusive rights

were not in violation of U.S. travel

your return, you live outside the United

under international law to explore and

restrictions.

States and Puerto Rico and your tax home

exploit the natural resources.

(defined later) is outside the United States

Nov 06, 2012

Cat. No. 14623P

2012 Instructions For Form 2555-Ez - Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

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