# form 255- part III physical presence.need to put foreign vacation trips here or not?



## Pitty (Apr 25, 2016)

Hi guys,

I got sometime confused about the word "foreign country" when i fill out U.S.tax forms. 
Here in form *255-Part III physcial presence test*, i declare that:
The physical presence test is based on the 12-month period from ▶01/01/2015 through ▶12/31/2015
My principal country of employment during my Tax year is* France*. (Q17 of form 255)

then in Q18, it asks:
If you traveled *abroad* during the 12-month period entered on line 16, complete columns (a)–(f) below. Exclude travel between*foreign* countries that did not involve travel on or over international waters, or in or over the United States, for 24 hours or more.

I don't understand, foreign countries here means foreign countries in regard to the principal country of employment, which in my case is *France*? 

in this case, if i had any * vacational trip* to other countries such as U.S., Maroc,.. i guess i have to add them in the table, right? but if it's spain or Italy which doesn't include any international waters, i leave the table blank. right?

Thanks for any insight


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

No, you're forgetting the idea that, for US purposes, any country that isn't the US is a "foreign" country. 

France is a "foreign" country. You work in a foreign country (France), and apparently you live in a foreign country (also France). If you have been living in France throughout the calendar year 2015, you could just as easily claim the "bona fide resident" test. But in any event, the listing in Q18 asks for your travel to the US during the year. Note the next to last sentence in the text: >> If you have no travel to report during the period, enter “Physically present in a foreign country or countries for the entire 12-month period.”<< Unless you visited the US during 2015, that's what you should indicate.

However, if you're excluding all your earned income using the FEIE (form 2555) then you have nothing from which to "deduct" your child care expenses anyhow. (Referring here to your other thread about child care expenses.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## Pitty (Apr 25, 2016)

Thank you, I got it, so no vacational trip info. here in this part 
BTW, I fill out "physical presence test" rather than "bona fide".

and yes I'm gonna use FEIE, so from my limited knowledge, no need to look for any Tax credit or deduct items. but I was interested to know, because I try my best to be as exact as I can. So i thought may be I should add his day care expenses somewhere in a Tax form and then check if any credit is avalable.


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