For the 2025 tax year, the U.S. Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) allows qualifying Americans living abroad to exclude up to $130,000 of foreign-earned income from federal taxation. To qualify, you must meet either the Bona Fide Residence Test or the Physical Presence Test (330 days in 12 months).
For the 2025 tax year, the foreign earned income exclusion 2025 limit rises to $130,000 per person. This is a meaningful lift from the $126,500 allowed in the prior tax year (January 1 – December 31). The IRS increases these numbers because the law ties the exclusion to annual inflation adjustments under section 911.
Starting January 1, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduces a federal income tax exemption on designated amount of qualifying overtime pay. The big news is you can deduct up to $12,500 in overtime pay if for most filers (and up to $25,000 if you're Married Filing Jointly).
Earned Income (Wages & Self-Employment)
Form 2555 (FEIE): Use this to claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. For the 2025 Tax Year (filing now in 2026), you can exclude up to $130,000. If both you and your spouse qualify, you can shelter a combined $260,000.
For tax year 2026, the foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900 up from $130,000 for tax year 2025.
The U.S. allows a Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), letting you exclude a significant amount of your foreign wages from U.S. tax; for 2024, it's $126,500, and for 2025, it's projected to be around $130,000, plus potential housing cost exclusions, to avoid double taxation, though you must file U.S. taxes and meet residency tests. This applies to earned income (wages, salaries), not passive income like interest or dividends.
Here's a summary of key changes for the 2025 tax year. The seven federal tax brackets (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%) are now permanent. Standard deductions increased, plus a new “bonus” deduction for older adults. Child tax credit increased to $2,200 per qualifying child.
Each year, the IRS sets a new maximum exclusion amount—meaning the most foreign earned income you can take off your U.S. tax bill. For 2023, that figure was $120,000, and for 2025 it's jumped to $130,000 per qualifying taxpayer. (Always check the latest IRS numbers when you file, as this can change with inflation.)
The income tax slab rates under the new tax regime for FY 2025–26 are as follows: income up to ₹4 lakh is tax-free; ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh is taxed at 5%; ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh at 10%; ₹12 lakh to ₹16 lakh at 15%; ₹16 lakh to ₹20 lakh at 20%; ₹20 lakh to ₹24 lakh at 25%; and income above ₹24 lakh is taxed at 30%.
For the 2025 tax year, the basic federal standard deduction (the "basic exemption") increased significantly due to inflation and a special boost from the new One, Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB), now being $15,750 for Single filers, $31,500 for Married Filing Jointly, and $23,625 for Head of Household, with further additional amounts for seniors and the blind. These figures reflect an approximate 7.9% increase from 2024, with the OBBB law extending the doubled standard deduction.
Generally, U.S. treaties provide that social security payments are taxable by the country making the payments. However, a foreign social security payment may also be taxable in the United States if you are a U.S. citizen or resident, as a result of the saving clause.
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE)
The FEIE allows you to exclude a significant portion of your foreign earned income from U.S. taxation. For tax year 2025 (filed in 2026), you can exclude up to $130,000. If you're married and both spouses qualify, you can each claim the exclusion for a combined total of $260,000.
U.S. citizens and resident aliens are taxed on their worldwide income. You must report your wages and other earned income, both domestic and foreign-sourced, on the correct lines of your Form 1040.
According to modern studies, the § Top 10 tax havens include corporate-focused havens like the Netherlands, Singapore, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom; while Luxembourg, Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, and Switzerland feature as both major traditional tax havens and ...
The Easiest Countries for Americans to Move To
Under the new income tax regime for 2025-26, any taxable income up to ₹12,00,000 attracts a full rebate of ₹60,000 (under Section 87A), resulting in a nil tax liability.
To avoid the 22% tax bracket (or any higher bracket), focus on reducing your taxable income through strategies like maxing out 401(k)s and HSAs, deferring bonuses, tax-loss harvesting, smart charitable giving, and strategic asset location, understanding that higher rates only apply to income within that bracket, not your entire income.
April 10, 2025, the House adopted the Senate's amended version of the budget resolution, which allows $5.3 trillion in deficit-financed tax cuts (the combination of $3.8 trillion of tax cuts assumed to be “costless” under a current policy baseline plus $1.5 trillion in additional deficits permitted), deficit increases ...