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Level 2
May 21, 2019

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

  • May 21, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 21 views

I have a U.S. citizen client who worked in Hong Kong from 2/6/17 to 4/14/18. She then transferred to Manila from 4/15/18 to present. How do I report this on her tax return? Do I make two Form 2555's? How do I do that?  I gave her Foreign Earned Income Exclusion in 2017 as she met Physical Presence Test 2/2017 thru 2/2018. Please help, I'm loss at how to make her 2018 return.

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1 reply

itonewbie
Level 15
May 21, 2019
Same employer but on consecutive assignment? You could report these on the same F.2555 based on BFR (which would be same as overlapping 2 PPT periods), provided these did not entail extension(s) of short term assignments and your client have a tax home in both HK and the Philippines.
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dlm9Author
Level 2
May 21, 2019

Hello itonewbie,

Yes same employer.  When she was in Hong Kong, she rented a flat and when she moved to the Philippines, she has a home there. Sorry, I don't know what BFR and PPT stand for. Kind of new at doing this form.  So for the Hong Kong assignment, I was giving her Housing allowance since she paid for her flat, but don't I have to prorate # of days she was in HK. And from April 15 on, she works in Manila. I can put incomes on one Form 2555?  And I fill up Physical Presence section from what dates? Feb 6, 2017 to present?

itonewbie
Level 15
May 21, 2019
PPT stand for physical presence test and BFR, bona fide residence.

HK has the world's highest limit for housing exclusion, so the housing exclusion will be to be figured based on the amounts applicable to different parts of the year for HK vs Manila.

When I referred to tax home, I don't mean a physical home but a tax home as defined under §162.

To better understand the concepts and application of §911, you may find Pub 54 and the instructions for F.2555 helpful, for a start.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Still an AllStar