Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
New Member
posted Jun 7, 2019 4:11:43 PM

If I have a T4 (Canada) instead of a W2 can i file with turbotax Us?

I am a US citizen living and workings in Canada

0 1 5573
1 Replies
New Member
Jun 7, 2019 4:11:44 PM

Yes - you can file your return using TurboTax, as an American citizen working outside of the U.S.

American citizens and resident aliens (green card holders) are subjected to U.S. federal taxation on their income worldwide, wherever earned.

As a U.S. citizen, you have a requirement to file a U.S. federal income tax return and to report your income earned in Canada, even if reported on a T4 and not a U.S. W-2.  To mitigate the possibility of double taxation, U.S. tax law permits exclusion, up to certain limits, of foreign earned income (if you meet either the bona fide resident test or the physical presence test) and foreign housing costs, and a foreign tax credit, to credit against your U.S. federal tax any Canadian income taxes which you paid against the your unexcluded income.

TurboTax supports filing Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit, to claim credit against your U.S. federal tax for foreign taxes paid, as well as Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income, to calculate your foreign earned income exclusion and foreign housing exclusion or deduction.

The Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed versions of TurboTax Online all support  Form 1116 and Form 2555 (not Federal Free), as well as all versions of TurboTax Desktop, for Windows or Mac.

Please see the following TurboTax FAQ, "What are Forms 2555 and 2555-EZ used for?", for instructions on how to enter information in TurboTax about your (or your spouse's) foreign earned income:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3301984

To see where to enter in TurboTax Online foreign income taxes which you paid or accrued in 2016, for purposes of claiming the Foreign Tax Credit on Form 1116, please see the following TurboTax FAQ, "Where do I enter the foreign tax credit (Form 1116) or deduction?":

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3302405