Do you need to file a form 2555 if you lived and worked in a foreign country for only a couple months of the year?

[meghartmann]

I taught in a foreign country from Nov 2012 to Feb 2016. I paid taxes in that country for the years I lived there, but now I'm not sure about how to file those two months from earlier in 2016.

[DS30 · Accepted solution]

No, you will not need to file Form 2555 related to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion if you are not eligible to take this exclusion.

Therefore when reporting your foreign-sourced income, you would only use Form 2555 if you meet the Bona Fide Residence Test or Physical Presents Test (if you or your spouse is a U.S. citizen or resident alien who is either bona fide resident of that foreign country for the entire calendar year or who was physically present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 full days during any period of 12-consecutive months) and you are trying to claim an IRS - Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.

Otherwise you would include any foreign income (in USD) on line 21 of your 1040. You enter this income under Federal Taxes> Wages and Income>I'll choose what I work on (jump to full list)> scroll down to "Less Common Income"> Miscellaneous Income (start/revisit/update)> Other reportable income (start/revisit/update) enter this information here as foreign source income and the amount (see screenshot) 

If you paid any foreign taxes on this income, you would be able to take a  Foreign Tax Credit on your US tax return.

[bine22]

But the OP does still qualify

[bine22]

You would still qualify using a period of February 2015 to February 2016. If you do not want to use the exclusion for those 2 months, you have to revoke it (assuming you used in before).