turbotax icon
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
turbotax icon
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Close icon
Do you have a TurboTax Online account?

We'll help you get started or pick up where you left off.

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

I am a green card holder and I moved back to China in the middle of the year 2018 for a job offer. Now I am trying to include this foreign income in the 1040 form. I followed all the steps in the section "Foreign Earned Income and Exclusion" of TurboTax. However, I am rechecking my generated 1040 form, the foreign earned income amount was indeed added into the total wages in form 1040 but it never showed which part of the total amount is foreign income (beside the foreign income, I also have a W2 form provided by my former employer). I am wondering do I need an additional form to explicitly indicate the foreign income? Or at least like a "Schedule A" (I saw it from an online tutorial) to point out the foreign income amount?

By the way, I don't have any official forms, such as W2 or 1099, for the foreign income from the government or the company. Also, I am not qualified for any foreign income exclusions or deductions because I didn’t pass either the bona fide resident test or the physical presence test.

Appreciate your help a lot in advance!

Connect with an expert
x
Do you have an Intuit account?

Do you have an Intuit account?

You'll need to sign in or create an account to connect with an expert.

1 Best answer

Accepted Solutions
KarenJ
Intuit Alumni

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

If you received the foreign income exclusion, you would see it on Schedule 1, Line 21 as a negative amount.  This amount will transfer to line 6 of the 1040 as additional income. 

You will also have a Form 2555 which calculates the foreign earned income exclusion.

View solution in original post

6 Replies
KarenJ
Intuit Alumni

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

If you received the foreign income exclusion, you would see it on Schedule 1, Line 21 as a negative amount.  This amount will transfer to line 6 of the 1040 as additional income. 

You will also have a Form 2555 which calculates the foreign earned income exclusion.

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

Appreciate your timely response! What if I am not qualified for any foreign income exclusions or deductions because I didn’t pass either the bona fide resident test or the physical presence test?
KarenJ
Intuit Alumni

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

If you did not qualify for the foreign income tax exclusion, you should be able to take a foreign tax credit to help offset double taxation.  Enter the phrase, foreign tax credit in the search box at the top of your screen and click on Jump to.
As long as your foreign income is included in with  your wages on the1040, that is the important part.  If you did not pay any foreign taxes in 2018 but will be taxed by China in 2019 for 2018 income, then for the foreign tax credit, just use the accrued method.  Please let me know if you have questions.

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

I just checked the option "foreign tax credit". However, I found that the taxes I paid in China was way less than $300 since the wages I earned in China was relatively low. I guess I don't need to file a 1116 form to claim a foreign tax credit then.
Even though I am not qualified for either a foreign income deduction or a foreign income credit, do I need any other forms to indicate the amount of my foreign income because it was only added to column 1 (wages, salaries ...) but not revealed or pointed out anywhere else? Then how could IRS knows what is the amount of my foreign earnings? Not liking the earnings made in the U.S., I don't have any forms, such as W2 or 1099 etc., to explicitly show the amount to them.
Again, appreciate your in-time help and explanation a lot!
KarenJ
Intuit Alumni

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

When you look at your Form 1040 (under Forms, second form listed on left), line 1 , if your wage amount on this line includes your foreign wages, that is all that the IRS really cares about.  Just so the income is reported on your return. You can also look at the 1040 wks (worksheet) (first form on the list on the left) and review that form you should be able to see your foreign income entry.  But the IRS does not mind if you have wage income that is not reported on a form.

Why my foreign income is not reflected in the 1040 form?

I see. Really appreciate your explanations!!!
message box icon

Get more help

Ask questions and learn more about your taxes and finances.

Post your Question
Manage cookies