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KV1107
Returning Member

Filing with ony Foreign Income

This is my first time filing taxes, and I only have foreign income to report for this credit year. I did not have a domestic job before moving abroad. I extended my tax date by filing form 4868 because I had not yet been a foreign resident in this country for a year. From my country of residence, my foreign income is elegible for tax exemption. I have filled out everything I am able to on TurboTax, but when it came time to file, it says that I am not allowed to file my taxes electronically for the following reasons:

 

All of the following lines of Form 1040 have a zero value:
Line 22 - Total income
Line 37 - Adjusted gross income
Line 44 - Tax
Line 55 - Total credits
Line 63 - Total tax
Line 74 - Total payments

 

To my understanding, this information comes from a W-2, which I do not have due to my lack of a domestic job. I do have a Statement from my foreign employer that I used to fill out the foreign income section, however.

 

My question now is, is there a way to fill in this information from my foreign salary statement so that I can still file my tax form electronically? If not, how can I file my taxes by paper from TurboTax? When I try to progress through the review section and click File by Paper, TurboTax keeps looping me back to the page with this headliner: We've determined the easiest way to file your taxes.

 

Help and advice will be much appreciated, thank you.

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7 Replies
Carl
Level 15

Filing with ony Foreign Income

You absolutely must elect to start/update the W-2 income section, and select the option for "I don't have any W-2's". Once you select that, you have to finish working through the rest of the W-2 section until you come to a screen with a DONE button on it, and actually click that DONE button. Until you do that, you can't e-file.

 

KV1107
Returning Member

Filing with ony Foreign Income

Thank you for your reply! I have looked through that section twice now and can`t find where to click that option for no W-2. Do you know the headliner for the page that that`s supposed to be on?

Carl
Level 15

Filing with ony Foreign Income

I can assure you it's there, plain as day. See attached screenshots.

 

KV1107
Returning Member

Filing with ony Foreign Income

I'm afraid that your screen is different from mine. I went through the full federal review and don't see what I should.

Screen Shot 2018-08-24 at 7.53.15 AM.pngScreen Shot 2018-08-24 at 7.49.41 AM.png

KV1107
Returning Member

Filing with ony Foreign Income

Is there another option I can choose to have the same format as your screen? 

Carl
Level 15

Filing with ony Foreign Income

Sure. Purchase the CD version of TurboTax at https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/cd-download/ and install it on your computer. I personally don't understand why anyone would use the online version. But to each their own I guess. My issues with the online version are:

1) I don't trust *ANYONE* (including the IRS) to store documents containing my personally identifiable information on *their* computer that is connected to the Internet 24/7/365. I don't care how secure you may claim your setup to be. I don't know the owner of that computer, and I don't know where that computer physically is. or how that computer is physically secured.  I could be in the Kremlin or Beijing for all I know.

2) The online version only allows for one tax return per account. Additionally, I have to $pay$ for each return and prepare and file, individually. With the online version I buy the program and that's it. While I can only e-file a maximum of 5 returns, I can prepare and mail as many returns as I want after e-filing the first five. I don't have to pay for each federal return I e-file either.

If a state return is involved, I pay for that state one time and can prepare and mail as many state returns as I desire without having to pay for each one I print. Though I do have to pay for each state return I e-file, I can print and mail as many state returns as desired at no additional charge.

3) With the online version, forms view is not an option until *AFTER* I pay to e-file or print. Even then, what I can do in forms mode is extremely limited compared to the desktop version.

4) With the online version, once paid or registered the option to clear the return and start over is gone. Once you register or pay for the online version, then if you need to start over, you're screwed.  Whereas with the desktop version if I want to start over, I just delete the .tax2017 file in the documents/turbotax directory, fire up the program anew, and it's "as if" I'm using it for the first time for that tax year.

5) When it comes to navigation in the program, the online version is, in my personal opinion, not user friendly. This is particularly frustrating for a first time user of the program, or for an experienced user who is doing something such as filing a SCH C for their first time.  I always advise first time users of TurboTax to use the CD version. For those that ignore that advice, about 70% or more become frustrated and vow to never use TurboTax again.

6) With the online version, if for whatever reason (such as FAFSA) you need to access a prior year return that you completed with the online version, you have to pay to get it. Personally, I view that as extortion. But TurboTax views it as a "storage fee" for them keeping your return on their server. SO for example, if you need your 2016 or earlier return for a mortgage loan application, you are "forced" to pay for at least the PLUS program in order to access it. Doesn't matter if you plan to file your 2017 return with the online version or not.  To my knowledge, online users are not made aware of these "pay to play" costs until "after" the fact. If they are, then it's probably buried somewhere in the online user agreement.

KV1107
Returning Member

Filing with ony Foreign Income

Thank you so much for all of your help! I will be sure to look into your advice.

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