Foreign tax credit carryover in 2025 exceeds carryover allotment, says I must carry it back

[laurag25]

The problem is that I am currently amending my 2024 return and have not sent that off yet.

How should I go sequencing the carryover relative to my submitting my 2024 1040-X amended return? 

[DaveF1006 · Accepted solution]

Here is how to enter this carryback amount in your 2024 return, since you are working on it.

1. Go to the forms mode
2. Locate the Form 1116 Comp Worksheet in the return. There should be one there if you had foreign income to report in 2024.
3. If you do not have one, go to open form in the forms menu on the left-hand side of your screen.
4. Type 1116 in the search bar and then select it when it appears.
5. Go to part 111 Line 10. Click on the box and there should be a magnifying glass that appears. Select that.
6. That will take you to the Form 1116 Comp worksheet to line 10 and you may enter the carryover amount here.

If the result of the carryback is $0 (because you had no foreign income), the IRS generally does not require you to file a 1040-X just to "prove" the carryback failed. You simply document the sequence for your own records.

The remaining carryovers will now be carried forward for ten years, starting with tax year 2026.