Foreign Country Residence country not listed AND $0 housing expenses

[Eucalyptus]

Hello,

I will be starting a job soon working overseas 6 months at a time, and home (Stateside) for approximately 21 days. I will have a total of 344 days overseas. My country is not listed on form 2555 and my housing expense is $0 due to being an overseas contractor. How would I fill out form 2555?

[pk]

@Eucalyptus , generally  a country is not listed for purposes  Cost of Living adjustments ---  but it should not affect your 2555  -- because    you just have to enter your wages and any housing assistance.  Obviously I am speaking in generalities -    I need   at least the following info  first :

(a) Are you a US person  ( citizen / GreenCard ) ?

(b) which country would be your Tax home ?

(c) Because you are taking home leave  every six months  -- that expense ( if paid by the employer ) needs to be included  on your form 2555.

(d) Who is your employer  ( a local entity /  a subsidiary of a US entity / US govt or any of its branches etc. etc. )

(e) Is your Tax-Home country going to tax you on your wages while working in that country ?

Please provide as much info as you can.  I will circle back once I hear from you.

[Eucalyptus]

(a) Are you a US person  ( citizen / GreenCard ) ? - I am a U.S. Citizen

(b) which country would be your Tax home ? - United States - California to be more specific

(c) Because you are taking home leave  every six months  -- that expense ( if paid by the employer ) needs to be included  on your form 2555. - My employer is 100% covering the cost of travel from California to the Foreign country and back to California. 

(d) Who is your employer  ( a local entity /  a subsidiary of a US entity / US govt or any of its branches etc. etc. ) - My employer is a  Civilian company that works for / with the US Military. 

(e) Is your Tax-Home country going to tax you on your wages while working in that country ? - My Tax home country will more than likely tax me on my wages while working in the foreign country, because the U.S. loves taking people's money. 

[pk]

@Eucalyptus  Iam sorry , I was not clear --- your foreign tax home country is what I need .  That is where you are going to establish a tax home.   Foreign Earned Income Exclusion is available ONLY when one has a Foreign Tax home.

 From your answers I am assuming that you are not moving your family to the foreign country, you keep a home in the USA and file jointly with your spouse --yes ?

[Eucalyptus]

Correct. I am working 6 months at a time in a foreign country (country in Africa) and will be getting paid by my Employer which is a U.S. owned company. And back home for 3 weeks, then back to Africa for another 6 months (rinse and repeat). My wife and kids will 100% stay stateside in our home where they will reside. My wife will not be working while I am doing this job. 

[pk]

@Eucalyptus  I appreciate your  answers.   I need the country to be able to look-up treaty considerations.  If you are uncomfortable with providing more details on this public board, you are welcome to  PM me with the details  ( just NO person ally Identifiable info ).

 Note that the  330 days   abroad is a firm requirement within  the test period of  continuous 365 days --- the tax year must fall within that test period.   Thus say you leave the USA on the  20th of September and arrive at your  foreign station   on the  morning of  22nd of September, your first full day ( 24 hrs ) i.e. 23rd of Sept. is your start of Foreign stay.  This means that  your foreign tax home is established on 23rd. of Sept 2024 and your earliest 12 month test period  is  09/23/2024 through 09/23/2025.  Within this test period  you  must meet 330 days  abroad -- not counting travel days over international waters etc.

I will come back once I hear from you -- after looking up if the Foreign country  has and I have read through the treaty contents.

Is there more I can do for you ?

[Eucalyptus]

I have sent you a private message regarding the foreign country. Thank you.