# Some IRS 2555 EZ Questions



## jkundra

Hi - I've searched the forum and elsewhere online for information regarding several of the questions on the 2555 EZ form and haven't been able to find any answers. 

I'd be thankful for any input concerning the following questions (I'm an American who has been living and working in France since 1981): 

*Part I Bona Fide Residence Test, Line 1b:* _Enter the date your bona fide residence *began*..._

Do they want the year I actually *began* living in France (1981) or simply the tax year (2012)? 

=============================

*Part II General Information, Line 11a:* _List your tax home(s) during 2012 and date(s) established_

Once again, do they mean 1981 (year of my arrival in France) or the tax year 2012? 

=============================

*Part IV Figure Your Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, Line 17:* _Enter, in U.S. dollars, the total foreign earned income you earned and received in 2012..._ 

There is no precise mention of accrued foreign bank account interest, other than the blanket term 'received'. Should I include the interest earned from my French bank account in the total foreign earned income figure?

==============================

My thanks for your responses - as I said above, I've looked (including on the IRS instruction sheets) for answers to these questions and have not found any answers. Your input will be greatly appreciated!


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## Bevdeforges

jkundra said:


> *Part I Bona Fide Residence Test, Line 1b:* _Enter the date your bona fide residence *began*..._
> 
> Do they want the year I actually *began* living in France (1981) or simply the tax year (2012)?
> 
> =============================


If filling in the forms by hand, just put in the year. If you're using tax software, they sometimes won't allow you to just put in the year - but the specific date you use isn't critical. Use either Jan 1st or July 1st. (They won't check if it's that far back.)



> *Part II General Information, Line 11a:* _List your tax home(s) during 2012 and date(s) established_
> 
> Once again, do they mean 1981 (year of my arrival in France) or the tax year 2012?
> 
> =============================


Just use the year you arrived in France - or use the same convention as above if you're using tax software that won't accept just the year. This one is only for those of us who have moved around since leaving the US. I moved abroad in 1992, but moved to France in 1995, so that's what I put for when I established my tax home here in France.



> *Part IV Figure Your Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, Line 17:* _Enter, in U.S. dollars, the total foreign earned income you earned and received in 2012..._
> 
> There is no precise mention of accrued foreign bank account interest, other than the blanket term 'received'. Should I include the interest earned from my French bank account in the total foreign earned income figure?
> 
> ==============================


The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion only applies to EARNED income (by which they mean salary and self-employment income). You don't get to include bank account interest or any other "passive" foreign income, like investment income or even pensions.

For more information on filing from overseas, take a look at Publication 54 on the IRS website. That explains the FEIE in a bit more detail than the instructions for the form.
Cheers,
Bev


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## jkundra

Many thanks for your prompt and detailed reply, Bev. Very good of you to do this...:clap2: 

Wishing you (and myself) better Parisian weather soon!


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## sdknet78

*bona fide & tax home*

Hi,

I am US citizen living in libya since 1978 with my family and parent, working since 2010 years & holding libyan citizenship as well.
I've really searched online for information regarding the questions below on the 2555 EZ form and haven't been able to find any answers. 

Enter the date your bona fide residence began...?

List your tax home(s) during 2014 and date(s) established..?


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## BBCWatcher

When did you first become a bona fide resident of Libya? Sometime in 1978 it seems.

Where were you a resident during 2014? Libya, apparently, and only Libya. When did you move to Libya? 1978 again.

If you had some other home besides Libya between 1978 and the present then the 1978 start date is not correct.


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## BBCWatcher

Answer the questions asked. It certainly seems like 1978 is the correct answer to both.


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