# Online/ Electronic Filing for US-Tax Returns



## manny.j (Dec 4, 2011)

Hi Everyone,

Apologies if someone has already shared the electronic tax filing link elsewhere earlier as I was unable to locate it. Therefore sharing this with intentions to help others living outside the US who want to file their US tax return for 2019. 

Following link provides list of all the free software for electronic-filing taxes:

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp

Within this link there is a 'Free File Online Lookup Tool' to determine which online website would be relevant for one to file their taxes. 

In general, filing is free if one's adjusted gross income in 2019 was $69,000 or less. 


Other relevant link for US-Tax filers living outside the United States:

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Just one small addendum - The Free File page also mentions the Free File Fillable option, but says that it's for those with AGI over $69,000. There is no such restriction on the Fillable thing. If it has the forms you need and can handle any additional info that has to be filed with the return, you can use it whether your income is under or over that $69,000 figure.

Also, just be aware that the number of Free File options may be limited for overseas taxpayers, particularly if you are over age 52 or so. (Guess how I know that you don't have to have income over $69,000 to use the Free File Fillable site.)


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## manny.j (Dec 4, 2011)

Bevdeforges said:


> Just one small addendum - The Free File page also mentions the Free File Fillable option, but says that it's for those with AGI over $69,000. There is no such restriction on the Fillable thing. If it has the forms you need and can handle any additional info that has to be filed with the return, you can use it whether your income is under or over that $69,000 figure.
> 
> Also, just be aware that the number of Free File options may be limited for overseas taxpayers, particularly if you are over age 52 or so. (Guess how I know that you don't have to have income over $69,000 to use the Free File Fillable site.)


Thanks Bev. Free File Fillable is my preferred way to file my taxes but I think it is currently closed. I guess we all need to wait until it opens shortly...


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

manny.j said:


> Thanks Bev. Free File Fillable is my preferred way to file my taxes but I think it is currently closed. I guess we all need to wait until it opens shortly...


IIRC, the Fillable site opens up for business on Monday. The IRS isn't actually accepting returns until Monday 27 January. But the FreeFile vendor sites will collect returns for submission as soon as the IRS is open for business.


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## Jelaxo (Feb 24, 2017)

Hi there! Thanks for the info! I have a question about "married filing separately" status online with a non-resident alien husband:

Last year I tried to file for free online, put in all of my info, got all the way to the end and they wouldn't let me submit because I didn't have a SSN or ITIN for my husband. I finally broke down and paid H&R Expat $600 to file my 2017 & 2018 taxes for me, out of sheer frustration, which I definitely don't want to do again.

I looked into getting an ITIN for him this year and all of the IRS info is telling me it's not necessary for any taxes after 2018. Now I've been on both H&R Block and TurboTax and they're both trying to charge $40 because the free service doesn't have the correct forms for foreign income. I don't actually mind paying but I want to make sure I don't pay just to get all the way to the end and find I still can't submit because my husband doesn't have an ID number.

Has anyone experienced this? Can anyone help? My taxes are SO simple I really don't want to pay a small fortune to have someone do them for me if there's a way to do them myself.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

You don't actually "need" to have an ITIN for your NRA husband unless you are claiming him as a dependent. UNLESS you insist on e-filing. The IRS e-filing system will not accept a return for MFS without the ITIN or SSN filled in for the NRA spouse. It will not accept NRA in either the space for SSN or in the space for "spouse's name."

The solution that is quickest and easiest is just to print off the forms yourself (you can fill them in using the pdf forms you download from the IRS site), sign them and mail them in. It might cost you a euro or two in postage, but it's the easiest approach if your returns are simple.

All the necessary forms are available on the IRS website, and most of them can be filled in on your computer using a standard pdf reading program (like Adobe - but there are others). You should be able to print your forms from your computer (which I like to do because the print is really tiny but I guess it scans really well for them). 

The pdf forms will let you fill in stuff like NRA for the SSN but if they don't, just print off the forms and fill in anything you need to by hand before you mail them. Use your prior years' filing for reference if needed.


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## Jelaxo (Feb 24, 2017)

Thanks Bevdeforges. I was really hoping for the e-file since it simplifies everything. I know we used to be able to do it via e-file and then they stopped it but I wasn't sure if they had reinstated it since it seems they're not super keen to provide him an ITIN.

I'm definitely not a tax master and thousands of boxes and instructions and pages of forms really overwhelms me (it's why I finally broke down and paid H&R Block). As opposed to a yes or no on the e-filing system. Just seems crazy that that one thing that I'm just going to have to leave blank on the paper version anyway is the one thing that prevents us from submitting online.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Jelaxo said:


> Just seems crazy that that one thing that I'm just going to have to leave blank on the paper version anyway is the one thing that prevents us from submitting online.


Don't leave it blank - just fill in "NRA" to indicate that your spouse is a Non Resident Alien (not a gun advocate). I think the "problem" comes down to the fact that they haven't programmed the e-file stuff to accept letters in the spaces where numbers are expected. And, of course, if you're filing MFS, the system won't take blanks in the spaces either.

(The IRS computer systems are well known for being ancient and extremely creaky.)


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

There are always issues with free-fillable forms. Many forms have inherent limitations and they seem to always be late getting some forms up and available. 

Before you start free-fillable forms it is smart to look at what forms are available, and what their limitations are.

If one of the limitations affects you, then you are unlikely to be able to e-file. The one that hits many overseas filers is the limitation on attachments that also impacts Form 1116 used by many to take an overseas tax credit.

Entering the stuff into free-fillable forms isn't a waste per se though. You can always print what you have entered, submit the old fashioned way after you have addressed any limitation.


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## manny.j (Dec 4, 2011)

Moulard said:


> There are always issues with free-fillable forms. Many forms have inherent limitations and they seem to always be late getting some forms up and available.
> 
> Before you start free-fillable forms it is smart to look at what forms are available, and what their limitations are.
> 
> ...


Couple of years ago, I went through a pilot-run on different free tax-return websites and noticed some or other bug or missing form. However, one we particularly found most reliable is https://www.freefilefillableforms.com

Whilst it is NOT user-friendly as one needs to go through, as you stated, 'old fashioned' way to complete the form but the website overall consists of most of the forms required by American citizens living abroad. It allows electronic submission with an acknowledgement email received once IRS accepts the submission in a couple of days. We have been using it for at least 3 years in a row without any issues. Hope this helps.


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

manny.j said:


> [/url]
> Whilst it is NOT user-friendly as one needs to go through, as you stated, 'old fashioned' way to complete the form but the website overall consists of most of the forms required by American citizens living abroad. It allows electronic submission with an acknowledgement email received once IRS accepts the submission in a couple of days. We have been using it for at least 3 years in a row without any issues. Hope this helps.


The tax industry doesn't want the IRS to create a nice user friendly Q&A.. so all you get is an online version of the PDFs and e-filing if you are lucky..

In terms of your comments...

Key words being -- *most*. You cannot submit most of a return. If you require a form that is not present then you are back to the PDFs..If you require a supported form that has a limitation that affects you... you are back to print and post.

There is also a big asterisk on *allows *- FFF support of common filing requirements for overseas filers are not supported resulting in a need to print and post.

To this day, it does not support attachments. If you need to use Form 1116 you are out of luck. I believe in the past it also did not support married filing separately if your spouse was a non-resident alien without an ITIN or SSN. No doubt many others.

For me FFF has no advantage over the PDFs

-- I need to know what forms to use anyways 
-- the calculations built into FFF are minimal, and could be done with a spreadsheet anyway
-- I can keep a copy beyond Oct each year by simply saving them to my hard drive
-- I can't submit electronically because it doesn't support attachments.
-- I have to deal with forms that do not support all of my filing requirements.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Just one note here: the Free File Fillable Forms is the IRS e-filing site. The forms do basic math for you but there is no "dialog" where the program will guide you in where to put which numbers.

And, I suspect that (unless something has changed this year) you cannot enter NRA for either spouse's name nor for spouse's SSN/ITIN if you are married to an NRA and therefore filing married, filing separately. 

I found when using Free File Fillable Forms last year that the "easiest" approach would be to fill in the paper forms by hand, and then use those to guide you in filling in the online forms. Do read the info on the "limitations" (or possibly "known issues") in the instructions. I believe one major shortcoming for expats is that, if you are filing the FTC (form 1116) you aren't able to attach the required supporting documents. (Unless, of course, they've fixed this this year.) Then again, you could always just file the forms and if they want to see the attachments I suppose they'll be in touch. <g> (That's intended as sort of a joke - though if you're in the lower income brackets you very possibly may get away with it.)


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## New2Aussie (Apr 6, 2020)

I tried using FFF but it wants a valid phone number ( I am guessing from USA) It wouldn't let me enter my Australian one


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

New2Aussie said:


> I tried using FFF but it wants a valid phone number ( I am guessing from USA) It wouldn't let me enter my Australian one


Yes, it has to be a US phone number. You can get away with using a friend's or family member's. But the FFF system is pretty tricky to use.


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