topic Amend 2024 taxes to exempt foreign income in Deductions & credits

Amend 2024 taxes to exempt foreign income

mpilarw7 — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:09:04 GMT

My son has lived in Spain since 7/31/2024. When taxes were due in April 2024 he still hadn't lived there for an entire year, so we are now amending his taxes to claim the tax exemption for the full year . TurboTax asked for the 12 months of foreign residence, so we entered 7/31/2024-7/30/2025, even though he still lives there. After we enter that information, TT asks how many times he's been back to the USA. He's been back twice to visit family (not for business), TT asks how many of those days were spent here for business, but it doesn't allow you to say 0. Should we just say he has not been back in the US at all?

Re: Amend 2024 taxes to exempt foreign income

pk — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 02:11:32 GMT

@mpilarw7 for your particular case , enter 1 day as business day. This has been the case for ever ( that I can remember).

Generally, in order to meet the Physical Presence Test ( in a test period of 12 continuous months abroad, be away from USA for 330 days ), one needs to file a return after having met the Physical Presence Test. Else as you found out, one has to amend to take advantage of the Foreign Earned Income exclusion.

I am assuming here that your son is employed by a local entity or a wholly owned subsidiary of an international entity.

Is there more I can do for you ?

Re: Amend 2024 taxes to exempt foreign income

mpilarw7 — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 15:01:35 GMT

Thank you for the response. You are correct, employed by a Spanish subsidiary of an US company. It seems strange you would have to enter a 1 when there were 0 business days on that trip.

Re: Amend 2024 taxes to exempt foreign income

pk — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 15:24:10 GMT

@mpilarw7 , in my days as an expat , it was the same issue -- the whole system does not handle 0 or empty very well -- expects a number ( even if a dummy 1).

Is there more I can do for you ?