# US Taxpayers - 2017 filing season is about to begin!



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

For those of you who are US taxpayers, it's time to start taking a look at the irs.gov website to line up how you are going to handle the filing season.

The IRS has announcing that the tax filing season will open on January 29th. This means that they will not accept 2017 tax returns until that date. (If you use a tax preparer, they may accept your return and hold it for you until the opening date.)

Freefile software will become available on January 12th.
Freefile fillable forms will become available January 29th.

Once again, it appears that some tax software vendors are offering free access to their software for those eligible to file forms 1040-EZ or 1040-A. 

If you take the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, you must file a "long-form" 1040. The same is true if you need to file a form 8938 (foreign financial assets). Remember that the threshold for filing the 8938 is higher if you are resident overseas.

Some, but not all the 2017 forms are available from the IRS website. The website has been redone since last year, so it may take some hunting around to find what you need. A couple of handy pages:

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers
https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions - for forms, but check the date on the form. Not all the 2017 forms have been posted yet (most notably the 1040 series). 
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/more-information

Don't forget two of the most useful publications:
Pub 17 - which is a complete guide to individual income taxes
Pub 54 - the Tax Guide for US Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad

Both are available in pdf version or in e-pub for downloading, as are many of the forms:
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/ebook

That should be enough to get you started.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

OK - just filed my 2017 returns using the Free File Fillable Forms "app" you get to via the IRS website. Basically, it's not too bad to use (as long as your returns are relatively simple and you are used to filling in the forms yourself. Don't forget to use the "Do the math" button - the system will do most additions and subtractions for you, which is pretty nice.

A few caveats though....

Be sure to take a look at the various help guides available from the IRS site, including:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/Free_File_Fillable_Forms_User_Guide.pdf
https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/more-help-page-for-free-file-fillable-forms

There are a couple "tricks" to registering, including the need to enter a valid US phone number, but then unchecking the box for using the "security feature" where they send you a code via your phone or mobile phone and insisting on getting any codes via your e-mail address.

To "sign" you forms, they ask for a bunch of stuff that turns out to be "optional" - including your driver's license number or other state-issued i.d. Just skip it. You also don't need to enter a cell phone number in this part of the process.

The system will work on a Linux system, but you can't print your forms or returns (even if you're using a "recommended" browser) or access the line by line instructions feature. To print your forms, you can always take a screen shot, insert that in a word processor or other program and then save it all as a pdf for convenient printing offline later. (PITA, but fairly simple.)

Now, onward and upward to the FBARs!
Cheers,
Bev


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## tunca (Feb 8, 2018)

Hello,

I have been struggling to find the answer of my question. I reside outside the USA. I have to file the tax return in paper. I can not figure out where to write my foreign income on the form 1040. I figured that I have to file 2555 and 1116. I have a small income as little as ~16k/year. I have not filed the tax return for some years because my earnings have been small. I decided to file anyways the whole passed years altogether. I filled in the 2555 form. But I do not know where to carry the "foreign earned income" amount on form 1040. I do not have w2. I tried to use TurboTax. My tax due came out ZERO. But I could not manage to get the "ZERO" on paper. I went through p54 and p519. Where do I have to put the "foreign earned income" amount coming from 2555 form on 1040 form?

Thank you.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

If your income is from employment (i.e. salary, wages or earnings from a personal business), then you put the amount on line 7 on the 1040 and depending on which version of the 2555 you used (2555 or 2555EZ), toward the end of the form it tells you how and where to report the exclusion amount. For form 2555, it's Part VIII of the form, lines 43, 44 and 45. On the 2555-EZ, it's Part IV of the form, line 18 that tells you how and where on your 1040 to indicate your exclusion amount.

You don't need a W-2 if you don't get one (which you won't if you're not working in the US or for a US government agency). They pretty much have to trust you for the amount you report.
Cheers,
Bev


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## tunca (Feb 8, 2018)

Bevdeforges said:


> If your income is from employment (i.e. salary, wages or earnings from a personal business), then you put the amount on line 7 on the 1040 and depending on which version of the 2555 you used (2555 or 2555EZ), toward the end of the form it tells you how and where to report the exclusion amount. For form 2555, it's Part VIII of the form, lines 43, 44 and 45. On the 2555-EZ, it's Part IV of the form, line 18 that tells you how and where on your 1040 to indicate your exclusion amount.
> 
> You don't need a W-2 if you don't get one (which you won't if you're not working in the US or for a US government agency). They pretty much have to trust you for the amount you report.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Thank you very much. I really do appreiciate your reply.
Regards


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## Stephie-bee (May 13, 2018)

Hi- I am an American living abroad (in the UK) but have bought an apartment in France this year which we rent out as a vacation let. I need to add this to my US taxes as a depreciable asset but I need to be able to separate out the value of the land from the building because only the building is depreciable.

My new place is an apartment in a building with a syndicate. I think in US terms it is very similar to a condo where I have my own unit but also own a percentage of the building and land it sits on as well. But I have not been able to find what the split between land and building is. I have corresponded with an avocat who said that this information is generally not available in France. Am wondering if anyone else has come up against this issue and if so, how have you resolved it?

Thanks any advance for any replies and help!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

If the apartment is in a building with multiple other flats, I would just use the value of the flat you have purchased and not worry about the "land." 

But the other thing to consider is that you may very well owe French taxes on the income you are generating from the property (which can then be used to offset any income taxes you may owe on the property in the US).
Cheers,
Bev


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