However, you may qualify to exclude your foreign earnings from income up to an amount that is adjusted annually for inflation ($107,600 for 2020, $108,700 for 2021, $112,000 for 2022, and $120,000 for 2023).
For the tax year 2022 (the tax return filed in 2023), you may be eligible to exclude up to $112,000 of your foreign-earned income from your U.S. income taxes. For the tax year 2023 (the tax return filed in 2024), this amount increases to $120,000.
1. I'm a U.S. citizen living and working outside of the United States for many years. Do I still need to file a U.S. tax return? Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien living outside the United States, your worldwide income is subject to U.S. income tax, regardless of where you live.
A: Yes. You should report the most types of foreign income on your Canadian income tax return.
If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien of the United States and you live abroad, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, you may qualify to exclude from income up to $112,000 (for 2022) of your foreign earnings.
However, you may qualify to exclude your foreign earnings from income up to an amount that is adjusted annually for inflation ($107,600 for 2020, $108,700 for 2021, $112,000 for 2022, and $120,000 for 2023).
As a U.S. taxpayer, you can face penalties for failing to report your foreign-earned income even if you don't owe any federal income tax. The IRS penalizes both failures to report and failures to pay and the penalties for reporting violations can be substantial.
Expats can use the Foreign Earned Tax Exclusion (FEIE) to exclude foreign income from US taxation. For the 2023 tax year, the maximum exclusion amount under the FEIE is $120,000. To qualify for the FEIE, you must meet the standards of the physical presence test or the bona fide residence test.
Foreign interest and foreign dividends are reported on the 1040 and Schedule B. Even if it is below $1,500, since the interest and/or dividends will (usually) originate from a foreign financial account, Schedule B is filed for Part III of the form.
In general, yes — Americans must pay U.S. taxes on foreign income. The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world where taxes are based on citizenship, not place of residency. If you're considered a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, you pay income tax regardless where the income was earned.
For tax year 2023, the maximum exclusion is $120,000 per person. If two individuals are married, and both work abroad and meet either the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test, each one can choose the foreign earned income exclusion.
The failure to file penalty is the most expensive; you can be charged 5% of the amount you owe, with the fine increasing by an additional 5% each month (up to a maximum of 25% of your bill).
If you do not receive a W-2 form for your employment, or if you work for a foreign employer and therefore do not receive a W-2, you can file your taxes using Form 4852. Form 4852 is a substitute that taxpayers can use if they never received a W-2 (or if their W-2 is inaccurate).
Personal Bank Accounts
If you decide to move back to America after time spent overseas, you may transfer the funds from your foreign bank account to your American bank account. Since this isn't income and is simply moving around your money, you won't have to pay taxes on the transfer.
Double taxation occurs when someone is taxed twice on the same assets or stream of income. US expats are often subject to double taxation, first by the US, and again by their country of residence. The IRS offers several tax credits and exclusions that expats can use to avoid double taxation.
If you are an American, you will owe the same taxes on foreign real estate transactions as on domestic real estate. You will also need to correctly convert foreign currency transactions to U.S. dollars.
One of easiest ways for the IRS to discover your foreign bank account is to have the information hand-fed to them from various Foreign Financial Institutions.
For tax year 2024, the foreign earned income exclusion is $126,500, increased from $120,000 for tax year 2023. Estates of decedents who die during 2024 have a basic exclusion amount of $13,610,000, increased from $12,920,000 for estates of decedents who died in 2023.
According to the IRS, examples of other specified foreign financial assets (not an exhaustive list) include, if they are held for investment: stock issued by a foreign corporation; a capital or profits interest in a foreign partnership; and interest in a foreign trust or foreign estate.
Generally, to meet the physical presence test, you must be physically present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 full days during a 12-month period including some part of the year at issue. You can count days you spent abroad for any reason, so long as your tax home is in a foreign country.
The Bottom Line. Under the Bank Secrecy Act, U.S. taxpayers must report their overseas bank accounts and financial assets, even if those assets do not generate taxable income. You must report any account with more than $10,000, or if your combined accounts have a total value greater than $10,000.
If you qualify, you can use Form 2555 to figure your foreign earned income exclusion and your housing exclusion or deduction. You cannot exclude or deduct more than your foreign earned income for the year.
For those penalties where reasonable cause can be considered, any reason which establishes that the taxpayer exercised ordinary business care and prudence, but nevertheless was unable to comply with a prescribed duty within the prescribed time, will be considered.
Expats are more likely to face an IRS tax audit than Americans living in the US. By avoiding common IRS red flags, you can reduce your chances of being audited.
Individuals who fail to report their interest in foreign financial accounts run the risk of substantial civil penalties and possibly a criminal investigation by the IRS.