# Itemized Deductions and FEIE



## Zendo (Apr 25, 2013)

Line 40 of the 1040 Form allows itemized or standard deductions.

My question: Can one just include the standard deduction *in addition* to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion ($6,100 for 2013)?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Zendo said:


> Line 40 of the 1040 Form allows itemized or standard deductions.
> 
> My question: Can one just include the standard deduction *in addition* to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion ($6,100 for 2013)?


Absolutely! 

Actually, one of the "caveats" about taking itemized deductions is that, if you do, you have to apportion your deductions between your excluded income and anything over and above that. 

Normally, for someone with just salary income plus some miscellaneous bank interest, it's the personal exemption plus the standard deduction that get things down to $0 taxes owed.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Zendo (Apr 25, 2013)

Thank you for your quick response.

Another question: I read or heard somewhere that we should not use the minus sign (-) when entering the FEIE on line 21 of the 1040. The correct notation for filing taxes for the IRS for negative numbers is to use brackets. Accordingly, the filer would enter in the space next to "other income" "Form 2555" and, where you type the figures in, you type the USD value in *brackets*. Is his correct? And if it is correct, does it also apply to the standard deduction?.


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