Is foreign phone number okk to do taxes and efile?

[abtb00]

I am US citizen living abroad. When doing taxes is my foreign phone number ok to do the tax and then efile? I had done my taxes with Turbo tax last time several years ago and now when I checked, I saw that my foreign phone number is still in Turbotax system, and when I looked at copy of my return from that year I see that no phone number is written on the return. So probably it was ok, but it has been several years and I do not remember. Again, please tell me, when I do my taxes with Turbotax next year, everything will be ok using my foreign phone number to do and efile my taxes, and I will not need to provide a US phone number. Thanks a lot in advance....!

[Mike9241]

TurboTax does not allow the use of a foreign phone number in the Mailing Address & Phone number section of the Personal Interview. The IRS will not call an international phone number.

1. U.S. Phone Number: Taxpayers should use a U.S. phone number when creating an account for e-filing. If you use an international phone number, you may encounter issues with account creation, access, or....

2. Unsupported Forms: Certain tax forms only accept a 10-digit U.S. phone number. If you don’t have access to a U.S. phone number, avoid using these forms for e-filing.

3. Workaround: You can enter the phone number of a relative or friend in the U.S., or even use a “dummy number” like 800-555-1212. The IRS will recognize this as a placeholder number and mail any necessary communications to you

[abtb00]

Thanks for the answer... But I wonder then why i do not see any phone number written on my copy of final e-filed return that i did with Turbotax several years ago and why Turbotax has my foreign number in my account details which by the way I had also verified and even yesterday when I was logging in I was able to get text message to my foreign phone number for verification....

So that phone number you wrote above is really a dummy number we can use? Did you obtain this from somewhere as accepted dummy number or you just wrote random? So i can just write 111 111 1111 even and it will be ok?

And just to vent it out in general because it is very unfair... as expats we must do tax return to US unlike any other country in the world but at the same time we have difficulty even in using our foreign phone number while doing tax or maintain a US bank account just because they don't like our foreign address and kick us out (happened to me)

[LenaH]

You can use 111-111-1111, as well as the number posted by Mike9241. 800-555-1212 is the AT&T Directory Assistance Bureau. Either way, the IRS will identify the number as a placeholder number. The IRS typically does not reach out by phone anyway, and if they have any questions, they will contact you via mail. 

@abtb00 

[abtb00]

Thanks a lot.... Yes, writing 111 111 1111 or 800-555-1212 is a good advice. Are you sure that this is ok?

Is there a reference backup about this somewhere?

I don't want to enter something and then IRS comes back at me and says I wrote wrong info on tax return - but at the same time it is very unfair that they want expats to file taxes (unlike any other country on earth) yet do not even accept foreign phone numbers.