If I entered foreign income business expenses for the purpose of the foreign income exclusion, should I re-enter those same expenses when I get to the deductions/credits?

[IreneS]

What type of business expenses?  How did you enter them when entering info for the foreign income exclusion?

[jgkaufman02]

Home office and utilities expenses.  I entered them specifically under foreign income exclusion, but then when I got to the deductions/credits section it asked for expenses and didn't direct me to leave out the ones already listed under the foreign income exclusion.

[IreneS]

No.  You can only enter the expenses in one place in the return -- no "double-dipping."  🙂

If your foreign earned income is under $102,100 (the maximum exclusion), I suggest putting the expenses in another area of the return, if appropriate. 

If your foreign earned income is higher than the $102,100, you can take the expenses to reduce your income on the 2555 or in another part of the return to reduce your income.

[alaa-elmasri]

Does the amount need to be entered as a negative number? When I enter these expenses as a positive number my outstanding federal tax increases. When I changed to a negative numbers my outstanding tax decreases.