# Doing federal US taxes in Philippines



## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

has anyone done US federal taxes while living in the Philippines? I will be back there in 2 months and I still will have to file for 2017 next year since i had an income higher then allowed with my SS.

If you have filed how hard was it to do there? What steps did you take to prepare it and send back to the states?

thanks

art


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Art I used an online tax program and I start my taxes as soon as my pension form is available so far no difficulties with either Federal or State it does cost me around $70 to do this and I receive the refund about 2 weeks later directly into my bank account.


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## bidrod (Mar 31, 2015)

I use TurboTax and it is free.

Chuck


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## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

Hey guys,

thanks for the info. 2017 taxes will be my last year to file taxes since I will not be working in the Philippines. I will only be getting my SS there. Don't have to file if no other income. I used turbo tax several years ago. I do a schedule "c" since I am self employed. You mean you guys are not mailing them in from the Philippines? You are doing it electronically online? 

thanks

art


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## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

Hey M.C.A.

Is your pension SS or you getting both SS and a pension from your work place? I won't have any other income coming in accept for SS when I am living there other then my savings. Also, I won't keep that money in a saving account because it will draw interest and by law I would have to file a return each year even though I wouldn't have to pay any taxes. 

thanks

art


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I have been here for 4 tax years but only had to file once. I used the free file option on the IRS site. Filed online, got my refund with direct deposit. It was exactly the same as when I filed in the US.


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## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

Hey turaram

I din't know they had a free file option on their site. What is the site address? I wonder i it will do schedule c form?

Art


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Not so sure about the proof of still living thought so I do file each year even though by income I am not required to do so. It always comes out that I owe nothing and that I am due no refund. I do receive the SS payment and an additional pension from a private firm but still comes up to where I am not required to file. I use Turbo Tax to figure it out & fill it up, then print it out and mail by Philpost to the revenuers in Houston or Dallas(don't remember which right now). I try to have it done up & mailed by the middle of Feb to ensure plenty of transit time. So in the end it only costs me the P55 for mailing. 

Fred


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

greenstreak1946 said:


> Hey turaram
> 
> I din't know they had a free file option on their site. What is the site address? I wonder i it will do schedule c form?
> 
> Art


Just on irs(dot)gov. They have a button that says like "free file", or something similar. There are limitations on income level, and not sure if it will do Sched. C Worth checking out though.


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

fmartin_gila said:


> Not so sure about the proof of still living thought so I do file each year even though by income I am not required to do so. It always comes out that I owe nothing and that I am due no refund. I do receive the SS payment and an additional pension from a private firm but still comes up to where I am not required to file. I use Turbo Tax to figure it out & fill it up, then print it out and mail by Philpost to the revenuers in Houston or Dallas(don't remember which right now). I try to have it done up & mailed by the middle of Feb to ensure plenty of transit time. So in the end it only costs me the P55 for mailing.
> 
> Fred


Why do you file if not required to do so?


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

DonAndAbby said:


> Why do you file if not required to do so?


It's no problem to fill out & it only costs me 55 Pesos to mail so in this manner I am reminding the US Govt that I am still alive & kicking. Seems to me that its a small price to pay to make sure they are aware as I have no thoughts as to how they verify that I am still around and keep putting my SS into my accounts. Just trying to err on the cautious side. I paid into that fund for 51 years & I intend to get as much out of it as I can before it dries up or I go by the wayside.

Fred


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I am still 11 years away from SS but I hear they have a proof of life letter they send out. So it will not hurt to file taxes when you don't have to, but I would not bother with it personally.


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

fmartin_gila said:


> It's no problem to fill out & it only costs me 55 Pesos to mail so in this manner I am reminding the US Govt that I am still alive & kicking. Seems to me that its a small price to pay to make sure they are aware as I have no thoughts as to how they verify that I am still around and keep putting my SS into my accounts. Just trying to err on the cautious side. I paid into that fund for 51 years & I intend to get as much out of it as I can before it dries up or I go by the wayside.
> 
> Fred


I could be wrong, but I doubt that SS links up with IRS for the purpose of verifying if you are alive. SS has there own verification.

SS should send you a Proof of Life form 7162 every two years. I read that some people fill one out and send it every year. Probably easier than filing the taxes.

https://photos.state.gov/libraries/peru/444495/ssa-forms/SSA-7162.pdf


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## Zep (Jun 8, 2017)

Tukaram said:


> I am still 11 years away from SS but I hear they have a proof of life letter they send out. So it will not hurt to file taxes when you don't have to, but I would not bother with it personally.


Yep, the wife gets a letter yearly from SS and a pension asking to verify if she is still alive. They say "Please return within 30days or your benefits may be suspended" and the letter is always post marked more than 30days ago. Takes longer than that to make it to the sticks where we live. Luckily they have never suspended any benefits even though it must be at least 60 days before they get the letter back.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Well I have never received a 'proof of living' letter or such so I am kind of assuming what I am doing is working as I have been having my SS deposit appear in my bank accounts each and every month for 17 years now without interruption and so I will continue to do so on my part. I have no other interaction with any Govt office that I can recall. I am only assuming there is some sort of cross-checking as there has to be some method of verification, especially with todays technology available to the Govt.

Fred


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## bidrod (Mar 31, 2015)

fmartin_gila said:


> Well I have never received a 'proof of living' letter or such so I am kind of assuming what I am doing is working as I have been having my SS deposit appear in my bank accounts each and every month for 17 years now without interruption and so I will continue to do so on my part. I have no other interaction with any Govt office that I can recall. I am only assuming there is some sort of cross-checking as there has to be some method of verification, especially with todays technology available to the Govt.
> 
> Fred


Fred I don't know if your SS is deposited here or in the US. If it is deposited here you should get a letter if in the US you will not.

Chuck


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## Zep (Jun 8, 2017)

bidrod said:


> Fred I don't know if your SS is deposited here or in the US. If it is deposited here you should get a letter if in the US you will not.
> 
> Chuck


Ours is deposited in to a US bank and still get the letter sent to the PI address. Maybe you have a US address and a mail forwarder?


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## bidrod (Mar 31, 2015)

Zep said:


> Ours is deposited in to a US bank and still get the letter sent to the PI address. Maybe you have a US address and a mail forwarder?


Yes US bank and address but no mail forwarder. SSA would not let me change to a foreign address on line. So no letter.

Chuck


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Yes, I do have my SS & Pension funds deposited into 2 different banks (USAA & Wells Fargo) in the US and I do use a mail forwarder so I spose it does appear that I live in the US. Anyway what I am doing seems to work for me and I have peace of mind doing as I do.

Fred.


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## Rebaqshratz (May 15, 2016)

greenstreak1946 said:


> has anyone done US federal taxes while living in the Philippines? I will be back there in 2 months and I still will have to file for 2017 next year since i had an income higher then allowed with my SS.
> 
> If you have filed how hard was it to do there? What steps did you take to prepare it and send back to the states?
> 
> ...


My atty has a power of attorney and files electronically for me. Any tax paperwork I get at US global I forward to him. Simple enough. I have had very complicated returns because I have been a DoD contractor for the previous 10 years but retired now so it is fairly simple. But my guy has handled everything.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Rebaqshratz said:


> My atty has a power of attorney and files electronically for me. Any tax paperwork I get at US global I forward to him. Simple enough. I have had very complicated returns because I have been a DoD contractor for the previous 10 years but retired now so it is fairly simple. But my guy has handled everything.


WOW. This brought back some thoughts of quite a few years ago when I was working full time at a company job and on my days off, I did mobile mechanic work for a utility company, plus bought & sold airplanes and traded commodities as sidelines. I had to pay a tax specialist each year to keep me out of trouble. Now it is so simple(both sides of 1 sheet) so no trouble for me to handle it.

Fred


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## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

Hey Fred

I see where a person can fill out the 1040 online and send it into the gov. But, I don't know if that program will support a schedule "C". I am self employed and I have to do the profit and loss schedule "C". I wonder if anybody on here knows if that can be done online? After next year then I will be okay. Won't have to do the P&L. 

art


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

greenstreak1946 said:


> Hey Fred
> 
> I see where a person can fill out the 1040 online and send it into the gov. But, I don't know if that program will support a schedule "C". I am self employed and I have to do the profit and loss schedule "C". I wonder if anybody on here knows if that can be done online? After next year then I will be okay. Won't have to do the P&L.
> 
> art


Have no idea or thoughts about all this newer online stuff. Guess I'm too old school.

Fred


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Tax online*



greenstreak1946 said:


> Hey Fred
> 
> I see where a person can fill out the 1040 online and send it into the gov. But, I don't know if that program will support a schedule "C". I am self employed and I have to do the profit and loss schedule "C". I wonder if anybody on here knows if that can be done online? After next year then I will be okay. Won't have to do the P&L.
> 
> art


Art just perform a dry run, it looks possible (I checked Turbo Tax) so create an account fill in all the blocks and it's step by step you are walked through it... it doesn't cost anything to do this online until you file your tax return it will tell you if it's possible or you may need to upgrade the service, the upgraded services have online chat, they have more than just basic online tax service.


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## Rebaqshratz (May 15, 2016)

fmartin_gila said:


> WOW. This brought back some thoughts of quite a few years ago when I was working full time at a company job and on my days off, I did mobile mechanic work for a utility company, plus bought & sold airplanes and traded commodities as sidelines. I had to pay a tax specialist each year to keep me out of trouble. Now it is so simple(both sides of 1 sheet) so no trouble for me to handle it.
> 
> Fred


Fred - I hear you...when I was home on leave from the DoD I worked as a criminal defense attorney for the state so yep it was complicated lol.


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