Can i file my tax returns from outside united states

[Imran]

Hello team,

I am planning to travel outside united states. Can i file my US tax returns from outside united states. Further, i am expecting refund from IRS, can i give bank account which is outside united states. Will there be any issues on my refund amount, due to filing outside united states. 

[Carl]

Assuming you are a U.S. Citizen or legal immigrant authorized to work in the US and you have a valid SSN or ITIN, then you can use TurboTax from anywhere on the planet to file your US tax return. Be aware of the following:

- The IRS will not do a direct deposit of a refund to a foreign bank account. Period.

- The IRS will not mail a paper check to "some" countries.

- To pay any turbotax charges online, your credit/debit card must be in US funds, have a valid US billing address and a valid US phone number tied to it. If all those conditions are not met, your credit/debit card will be declined. If this is/will be your situation then let me know. There is a workaround.

[souzem]

Carl - please do share the workaround. I am a US citizen working abroad for nearly a decade, and now do not have a valid US billing address, or a valid US phone number, or a US credit card. For that reason, I have been unable to create an IRS account as well. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Carl]

Basically, you need to visit the US Embassy or the nearest consulate office. All US Embassy's will have a US banking facility in them. Most, but not all satellite offices will to. So if a satellite office is closer, call them first to confirm they have a US banking facility available for you to use. There you can purchase a pre-paid VISA for the amount needed. Then you register that VISA online with any valid US address and phone number. After registering it, give things about 4 hours to propagate across the Internet for where ever it needs to propagate to. Then you can use the prepaid card to pay your turbotax fees with.