The answer to your question is that it you do not absolutely have to
claim a foreign tax credit, using Form 1116, if you do not want to. As a taxpayer you
have the election, or option, to forego a foreign tax credit claim if
you wish (or to alternatively claim a Schedule A "itemized deduction" instead).
One valid reason for doing so, for example, would be if the
amount of the foreign tax credit is relatively small, and you do not
want to purchase (i.e., pay for) a TurboTax software program
upgrade just to be able to make the credit claim. That would be a
rational, and understandable, decision. So as well would be a choice not to complete, and print, Form 1116, if your foreign tax credit amount is relatively small and you are paper-filing your tax return.
For example, in your case and faced with claiming a $1.58 foreign tax
credit, it does seem reasonable that you might not want to do so by filing Form 1116. In this instance then, you do have to take a foreign tax credit if you do not want to.
Thus,
if you don't
care about your foreign tax credit claim, then you
can safely leave the related information (from Form 1099-DIV, Box 6, for
example) off of your tax
return. That way no foreign taxes paid amount will be indicated on your
tax return, and the program will not ask you to upgrade to claim the
foreign tax credit. Or, you could chose the "deduction" option in the TurboTax foreign tax credit interview.
In other words, neither the IRS nor anyone else is going
to make or "force" you to take a valid tax credit (or alternatively a
deduction) that you do not wish to; and you don't have to file Form 1116 if you don't want to.
Thank you for asking this question.
