What you said is important but only valid for those taxpayers that have a foreign pension distribution but there are many others taxpayers, like me for instance, that receive a foreign social security income ( there is no distribution ) . According to IRS foreign social security income must be of course taxed as foreign income pension like annuities but there is no distribution or whatsoever, it’s a direct payment from a foreign government agency and in this case the correct place to report it is in F1040 line 8 under “ other income” indicating clearly that it’s a “ Foreign Social Security from xxx”. In xxx write the country. If you want you can attach an addendum with the Foreign Social Security Administration or Agency tax identification that acts as the payer.
This is the correct way for foreign social security incomes. Should you have a foreign pension as result of an annuity plan or any other distribution retirement system it could’ve the way you mention but no for foreign social security incomes.
Having a retirement with any kind of distribution system could trigger also FinCe and FATCA which is not necessary the case of foreign social security incomes.
