I work overseas for the DoD. I pay rent for a home in Belgium, but I receive LQA and am reimbursed for most of that rent. I can't claim that rent on taxes, correct

[joshuazola-gmail]

I work overseas for the DoD. I pay rent for a home in Belgium, but I receive LQA and am reimbursed for most of that rent. I can't claim that rent on taxes, correct?

[RalphH1]

Employees of the U.S. government cannot exclude foreign income or housing amounts paid (as the IRS says here), and generally are taxed as if they were working back in the U.S. (With the exception of a few special rules, such as your “Living Quarters Allowance” being non-taxable.)

Unfortunately, since the housing exclusion is the only way left to deduct unreimbursed lodging (after “Employee Business Expenses” were removed from the tax code for most people), that means it’s sort of a non-issue on your tax return, Joshua-gmail.