Irsispita,
Each 1099-DIV needs to be reviewed for Box 8 entries. Do this using the "Forms" approach instead of "Step-by-Step"; same with working on the Form 1116. I have not tried mixing RIC and specific countries, but that is the correct approach -- however, the TT programming may not cooperate and you have have to put all as RIC. More important is that all your passive income dividends be shown in one Form 1116. You do that in each Form 1099-DIV in Box 7 by assigning it all to Copy 1 of Form 1116 (I used column A for all of my foreign passive category income). If you have multiple types of income as shown in Form 1116 in the section before Part I -- then that is outside of my advice. Again, most of us only have foreign dividends and taxes as shown on Form 1099-DIV that are from "Regulated Investment Companies" (RIC) -- known as mutual funds (such as Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.) to we taxpayers.
Yes, all foreign income should be reported even if there is no withholding. Having some foreign dividends without foreign tax can be a good thing -- it reduces the percentage of tax paid as a total of income and helps avoiding some of your foreign tax credit being excluded.
Most people find Simplified for AMT works best, but your tax circumstances may differ and you might need to use Standard. If you have used one method in the past, then you are required to obtain IRS consent to change methods and that is, I am told, a big deal that may require the assistance of a CPA. Using Simplified will NOT prevent you from e-filing, though it is possible you get a message saying that is part of the reason for the e-filing being rejected. When the rest of the items are correct, then that objection for me and others has fallen away. It appears to be a programming thing, not a real problem. Maybe if you changed methods it might be real.
