Self-employment income can be excluded from income if it meets the foreign earned income requirements. However, a business net income of $400 or more is still subject to the United States self employment tax.
The Internal Revenue Service explains the computation with the following example:
"You must take all of your self-employment income into account in figuring your net earnings from self-employment, even income that is exempt from income tax because of the foreign earned income exclusion.
Example:
You are in business abroad as a consultant and qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion. Your foreign earned income is $95,000, your business deductions total $27,000, and your net profit is $68,000. You must pay self-employment tax on all of your net profit, including the amount you can exclude from income."