How do I amend my 2018 taxes and add a foreign earned income exclusion using the physical presence test? I can't figure out how to add the form 2555.

[blakeviall]

When I filed my taxes in 2018 I was not able to claim foreign earned income exclusion because I had not yet met the 330 day requirement for the physical presence test and could not use the bona fide residence test. So I filed the taxes normally, even though my income from July-December was earned while I lived overseas. I went on to live overseas from (as I said) July 2018 all the way through 2019. So now, because I can meet the 330 day requirement, I want to go back and amend my 2018 taxes and claim the FEIE.

Am I able to do this? How do I do this? When I try to do so on the turbotax interface I can't see any way to.

Thank you for any help.

[pk]

@blakeviall  , if you used desktop version then it is easy --- just open your 2018 TurboTax and tell TurboTax you want to file and amended return  and it will walk you through all the steps.  

                         If you used on-line version then , it is difficult because the 2018 on line version is no longer available - you should call customer service  on how to get your  tax file from 2018 on line , download to your computer, get a copy of 2018 software and then work on amended return as above.

      Note that amended returns must be filed by mail to IRS.

If you need more on this , please let me know what I can do for you.   

I am assuming here that you are US citizen/Resident ( Green Card ) and have been abroad  for more than a  year  ( which country ?  and employed by a foreign entity.

[jfree91]

I'm trying to amend my 2019 tax return for this same reason and I can't figure out which "form" my foreign income was reported on (from the turbotax desktop program tax amendment questionnaire). I don't get a W-2, I just earn income and then I have a foreign tax exemption so I don't owe taxes. I don't have a special form for that, though, I don't think.

[JoannaB2]

Yes, the form you need is Form 2555.  In Turbo Tax, click amend, answer the question/s, and it should take you to the form.

For more information on how to amend, please this link.. 

[pk]

@jfree91 , assuming that  (a) you are  US citizen/GreenCard holder ; (b) you have been abroad for 12 months now; (c)  you filed 2019  without taking advantage of foreign earned income exclusion ;  ( you are either self-employed or are employed by a local entity----

1. you start by following the  "amend a return"  prompt and then under  personal income tab, select  " I will choose what I work on"; from the  drop down list select   "foreign earned income and exclusion "  ---  select update /edit on the right and follow through ---  make sure that the  amount of income entered is correct; it should then ask  if you want to try foreign earned income exclusion; follow with this and the  follow on screens -- this should allow you to fill out the form 2555 , resulting in  a negative  income  amount on form 1040  and reducing your AGI.

2.  There are other ways of doing this also  , especially if you are using desktop version of the program -- a bit more involved  --- directly adding the form 2555 in forms mode  and then using the  step-by-step mode to fill it out.

Do you need more help ?   ( Screen by Screen ? )

[jfree91]

I'm not seeing the option you're referring to in the desktop app and I can't amend it online, so I'm confused about how to do this.

[ThomasM125]

You would use the following tabs in TurboTax to apply for your foreign earned income exclusion:

1. Wages and Income
2. Less common income
3. Foreign earned income and exclusion
4. Did you make income outside the United States? (yes)
5. What form was income reported on? (stmt from foreign employer)

[jfree91]

And then from that point, I put in the USD equivalent income and then what? I've been told I need to fill out the 2555 form to exclude the foreign-earned income. (Sorry I'm asking so many questions. I just want to get all the details before I move forward with the form.)

Thank you so much for your help so far!

[pk]

@jfree91 , are you saying that even using the desktop version, you cannot use the  two options I suggested  earlier ?   Please let me  know and give me as much detail as you can   ( PM me  if the material becomes too personal ) and I will simulate  your particular case -- I have both 2019 and 2020 Home & Business on my machine

pk