W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

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INSTRUCTIONS TO PRINTERS
FORM 2555, PAGE 1 of 4
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Date

Form

2555

Action

Date

Signature

O.K. to print
Revised proofs
requested

OMB No. 1545-0074

Foreign Earned Income
䊳

Department of the Treasury
(99)
Internal Revenue Service

See separate instructions.

䊳

2005

Attach to Form 1040.

Attachment
Sequence No.

34

For Use by U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Only
Name shown on Form 1040

Part I

Your social security number

General Information

1

Your foreign address (including country)

3
4a
b
5

Employer’s name 䊳
Employer’s U.S. address 䊳
Employer’s foreign address 䊳
A foreign entity
A U.S. company
Self
a
b
c
Employer is (check
any that apply):
Other (specify) 䊳
A foreign affiliate of a U.S. company
d
e
If, after 1981, you filed Form 2555 or Form 2555-EZ, enter the last year you filed the form. 䊳
If you did not file Form 2555 or 2555-EZ after 1981 to claim either of the exclusions, check here 䊳
and go to line 7.
Have you ever revoked either of the exclusions?
Yes
No
If you answered “Yes,” enter the type of exclusion and the tax year for which the revocation was effective. 䊳
Of what country are you a citizen/national? 䊳
Did you maintain a separate foreign residence for your family because of adverse living conditions at your
tax home? See Second foreign household on page 3 of the instructions
Yes
No
If “Yes,” enter city and country of the separate foreign residence. Also, enter the number of days during your tax year that
you maintained a second household at that address. 䊳
List your tax home(s) during your tax year and date(s) established. 䊳

6a
b
c
d
7
8a
b
9

2 Your occupation

䊳

Next, complete either Part II or Part III. If an item does not apply, enter “NA.” If you do not give
the information asked for, any exclusion or deduction you claim may be disallowed.
Part II
10
11
12a
b
13a
b

14

Taxpayers Qualifying Under Bona Fide Residence Test (See page 2 of the instructions.)

Date bona fide residence began 䊳
Kind of living quarters in foreign country

, and ended 䊳
Purchased house b
Rented house or apartment c
Rented room
a
Quarters furnished by employer
d
Yes
No
Did any of your family live with you abroad during any part of the tax year?
If “Yes,” who and for what period? 䊳
Have you submitted a statement to the authorities of the foreign country where you claim bona fide residence
Yes
No
that you are not a resident of that country? (See instructions.)
Yes
No
Are you required to pay income tax to the country where you claim bona fide residence? (See instructions.)
If you answered “Yes” to 13a and “No” to 13b, you do not qualify as a bona fide resident. Do not complete the rest of
this part.
If you were present in the United States or its possessions during the tax year, complete columns (a)–(d) below. Do not
include the income from column (d) in Part IV, but report it on Form 1040.

(a) Date
arrived in U.S.

(b) Date left
U.S.

(c) Number of
days in U.S.
on business

䊳

(d) Income earned in
U.S. on business
(attach computation)

(a) Date
arrived in U.S.

(b) Date left
U.S.

(c) Number of
days in U.S.
on business

15a List any contractual terms or other conditions relating to the length of your employment abroad.
b
c
d
e

(d) Income earned in
U.S. on business
(attach computation)

䊳

Enter the type of visa under which you entered the foreign country. 䊳
Did your visa limit the length of your stay or employment in a foreign country? If “Yes,” attach explanation
Yes
No
Did you maintain a home in the United States while living abroad?
Yes
No
If “Yes,” enter address of your home, whether it was rented, the names of the occupants, and their relationship
to you. 䊳

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see page 4 of separate instructions.

Cat. No. 11900P

Form

2555

(2005)

4
I.R.S. SPECIFICATIONS
TO BE REMOVED BEFORE PRINTING
INSTRUCTIONS TO PRINTERS
FORM 2555, PAGE 2 of 4
MARGINS: TOP 13mm (1⁄2 "), CENTER SIDES.
PRINTS: HEAD TO FOOT
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INK: BLACK
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Form 2555 (2005)

Part III

Page

2

Taxpayers Qualifying Under Physical Presence Test (See page 2 of the instructions.)

The physical presence test is based on the 12-month period from

through

Enter your principal country of employment during your tax year.

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. 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.” Do not include the income from column (f) below in Part IV, but report it on Form 1040.

16
17
18

(a) Name of country
(including U.S.)

Part IV

(b) Date arrived

(c) Date left

(d) Full days
present in
country

(e) Number of (f) Income earned in U.S.
days in U.S.
on business (attach
on business
computation)

All Taxpayers

Note: Enter on lines 19 through 23 all income, including noncash income, you earned and actually or constructively received during
your 2005 tax year for services you performed in a foreign country. If any of the foreign earned income received this tax year was
earned in a prior tax year, or will be earned in a later tax year (such as a bonus), see the instructions. Do not include income from
line 14, column (d), or line 18, column (f). Report amounts in U.S. dollars, using the exchange rates in effect when you actually or
constructively received the income.
If you are a cash basis taxpayer, report on Form 1040 all income you received in 2005, no matter when you performed
the service.
Amount
(in U.S. dollars)

2005 Foreign Earned Income
19
20

Total wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions, etc.
Allowable share of income for personal services performed (see instructions):
a In a business (including farming) or profession
b In a partnership. List partnership’s name and address and type of income.

19
20a
20b

21

Noncash income (market value of property or facilities furnished by employer—attach statement
showing how it was determined):
a Home (lodging)

21a

b Meals

21b

c Car
d Other property or facilities. List type and amount.

21c

21d
22
a
b
c
d
e
f

23

Allowances, reimbursements, or expenses paid on your behalf for services you performed:
22a
Cost of living and overseas differential
22b
Family
22c
Education
22d
Home leave
22e
Quarters
For any other purpose. List type and amount.

22f

g Add lines 22a through 22f
Other foreign earned income. List type and amount.

22g

23
24

Add lines 19 through 21d, line 22g, and line 23

24

25
26

Total amount of meals and lodging included on line 24 that is excludable (see instructions)
Subtract line 25 from line 24. Enter the result here and on line 27 on page 3. This is your 2005


foreign earned income

25
26
Form

2555

(2005)

4
I.R.S. SPECIFICATIONS
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INSTRUCTIONS TO PRINTERS
FORM 2555, PAGE 3 of 4. (PAGE 4 IS BLANK)
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INK: BLACK
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Form 2555 (2005)

Part V
27

30
31
32
33
34

27

Taxpayers Claiming the Housing Exclusion and/or Deduction

Qualified housing expenses for the tax year (see instructions)
Number of days in your qualifying period that fall within your 2005 tax
days
29
year (see instructions)
Multiply $32.59 by the number of days on line 29. If 365 is entered on line 29, enter $11,894.00 here
Subtract line 30 from line 28. If the result is zero or less, do not complete the rest of this part
or any of Part IX
32
Enter employer-provided amounts (see instructions)
Divide line 32 by line 27. Enter the result as a decimal (rounded to at least three places), but do
not enter more than “1.000”
Housing exclusion. Multiply line 31 by line 33. Enter the result but do not enter more than the
䊳
amount on line 32. Also, complete Part VIII
Note: The housing deduction is figured in Part IX. If you choose to claim the foreign earned
income exclusion, complete Parts VII and VIII before Part IX.

Part VII

Maximum foreign earned income exclusion

36

● If you completed Part VI, enter the number from line 29.
days
36
● All others, enter the number of days in your qualifying period that
fall within your 2005 tax year (see the instructions for line 29).
● If line 36 and the number of days in your 2005 tax year (usually 365) are the same, enter “1.000.”
● Otherwise, divide line 36 by the number of days in your 2005 tax year and enter the result
as a decimal (rounded to at least three places).
Multiply line 35 by line 37
Subtract line 34 from line 27
Foreign earned income exclusion. Enter the smaller of line 38 or line 39. Also, complete Part VIII 䊳

38
39
40

Part VIII
41
42
43

其

其

30
31

⫻

33

.

34

35

$80,000

37

⫻

00

.

38
39
40

Taxpayers Claiming the Housing Exclusion, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, or Both

Add lines 34 and 40
Deductions allowed in figuring your adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line 37) that are allocable
to the excluded income. See instructions and attach computation
Subtract line 42 from line 41. Enter the result here and in parentheses on Form 1040, line 21.
Next to the amount enter “Form 2555.” On Form 1040, subtract this amount from your income
䊳
to arrive at total income on Form 1040, line 22

Part IX

28

Taxpayers Claiming the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

35

37

3

All Taxpayers

Enter the amount from line 26
Are you claiming the housing exclusion or housing deduction?
Yes. Complete Part VI.
No. Go to Part VII.

Part VI
28
29

Page

41
42

43

Taxpayers Claiming the Housing Deduction—Complete this part only if (a) line 31 is more than line
34 and (b) line 27 is more than line 41.

44

Subtract line 34 from line 31

44

45

Subtract line 41 from line 27

45

46

Enter the smaller of line 44 or line 45
Note: If line 45 is more than line 46 and you could not deduct all of your 2004 housing deduction
because of the 2004 limit, use the worksheet on page 4 of the instructions to figure the amount
to enter on line 47. Otherwise, go to line 48.

46

47

Housing deduction carryover from 2004 (from worksheet on page 4 of the instructions)

47

48

Housing deduction. Add lines 46 and 47. Enter the total here and on Form 1040 to the left of
line 36. Next to the amount on Form 1040, enter “Form 2555.” Add it to the total adjustments
䊳
reported on that line

48

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2555

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Page 1 of 4

Instructions for Form 2555

8:20 - 26-SEP-2005

The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing.

2005

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Instructions for Form 2555
Foreign Earned Income
Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code.

General Instructions
Do not include on Form 1040, line
64 (federal income tax withheld),
CAUTION any taxes a foreign employer
withheld from your pay and paid to the
foreign country’s tax authority instead of
to the U.S. Treasury.

!

Purpose of Form
If you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident
alien living in a foreign country, you are
subject to the same U.S. income tax laws
that apply to citizens and resident aliens
living in the United States. But if you
qualify, use Form 2555 to exclude a
limited amount of your foreign earned
income. Also, use it to claim the housing
exclusion or deduction. You cannot
exclude or deduct more than your foreign
earned income for the tax year.
You may be able to use Form
2555-EZ, Foreign Earned Income
Exclusion, if none of your foreign earned
income was from self-employment, your
total foreign earned income did not
exceed $80,000, you do not have any
business or moving expenses, and you
do not claim the housing exclusion or
deduction. For more details, see Form
2555-EZ and its separate instructions.
Foreign country. A foreign country is
any territory (including the air space,
territorial waters, seabed, and subsoil)
under the sovereignty of a government
other than the United States. It does not
include U.S. possessions or territories.
Note. Specific rules apply to determine if
you are a resident or nonresident alien of
the United States. See Pub. 519, U.S.
Tax Guide for Aliens, for details.

Who Qualifies
You qualify for the tax benefits available
to taxpayers who have foreign earned
income if both 1 and 2 apply.

1. You meet the tax home test (see
below).
2. You meet either the bona fide
residence test (see page 2) or the
physical presence test (see page 2).
Note. If your only earned income from
work abroad is pay you received from the
U.S. Government as its employee, you do
not qualify for either of the exclusions or
the housing deduction. Do not file Form
2555.
Tax home test. To meet this test, your
tax home must be in a foreign country, or
countries, throughout your period of bona
fide residence or physical presence,
whichever applies. For this purpose, your
period of physical presence is the 330 full
days during which you were present in a
foreign country, not the 12 consecutive
months during which those days
occurred.
Your tax home is your regular or
principal place of business, employment,
or post of duty, regardless of where you
maintain your family residence. If you do
not have a regular or principal place of
business because of the nature of your
trade or business, your tax home is your
regular place of abode (the place where
you regularly live).
You are not considered to have a tax
home in a foreign country for any period
during which your abode is in the United
States. However, if you are temporarily
present in the United States, or you
maintain a dwelling in the United States
(whether or not that dwelling is used by
your spouse and dependents), it does not
necessarily mean that your abode is in
the United States during that time.
Example. You are employed on an
offshore oil rig in the territorial waters of a
foreign country and work a 28-day on/
28-day off schedule. You return to your
family residence in the United States
during your off periods. You are
considered to have an abode in the

List of Countries To Which Travel Restrictions Applied in 2004 and 2005
Country
Cuba
Iraq*
Libya*

Starting Date

Ending Date

January 1, 1987
January 1, 1987
August 2, 1990

Still in effect
July 29, 2004
September 20, 2004

*Individuals whose activities in Iraq and Libya are or were permitted by a specific or general license issued by
the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) were not in violation of U.S. law.
Accordingly, the restrictions did not apply to such individuals with respect to the activities permitted by the
license.

Cat. No. 11901A

United States and do not meet the tax
home test. You cannot claim either of the
exclusions or the housing deduction.

Violation of Travel Restrictions
Generally, if you were in a foreign country
in violation of U.S. travel restrictions, the
following rules applied:
1. Any time spent in that country
cannot be counted in determining if you
qualify under the bona fide residence or
physical presence test,
2. Any income earned in that country
is not considered foreign earned income,
and
3. Any housing expenses in that
country (or housing expenses for your
spouse or dependents in another country
while you were in that country) are not
considered qualified housing expenses.
See the list on this page for countries
to which U.S. travel restrictions applied.

Additional Information
Pub. 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and
Resident Aliens Abroad, has more
information about the bona fide residence
test, the physical presence test, the
foreign earned income exclusion, and the
housing exclusion and deduction. You
can get this publication from most U.S.
embassies and consulates or by writing
to: National Distribution Center, P.O. Box
8903, Bloomington, IL 61702-8903. You
can also download this publication (as
well as other forms and publications) from
the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

Waiver of Time Requirements
If your tax home was in a foreign country
and you were a bona fide resident of, or
physically present in, a foreign country
and had to leave because of war, civil
unrest, or similar adverse conditions, the
minimum time requirements specified
under the bona fide residence and
physical presence tests may be waived.
You must be able to show that you
reasonably could have expected to meet
the minimum time requirements if you had
not been required to leave. Each year the
IRS will publish in the Internal Revenue
Bulletin a list of countries and the dates
they qualify for the waiver. If you left one
of the countries during the period
indicated, you can claim the tax benefits
on Form 2555, but only for the number of
days you were a bona fide resident of, or
physically present in, the foreign country.
If you can claim either of the
exclusions or the housing deduction

Page 2 of 4

Instructions for Form 2555

8:20 - 26-SEP-2005

The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing.

because of the waiver of time
requirements, attach a statement to your
return explaining that you expected to
meet the applicable time requirement, but
the conditions in the foreign country
prevented you from the normal conduct of
business. Also, enter “Claiming Waiver” in
the top margin on page 1 of your 2005
Form 2555.

When To File
A 2005 calendar year Form 1040 is
generally due April 17, 2006.
However, you are automatically
granted a 2-month extension of time to
file (to June 15, 2006, for a 2005 calendar
year return) if, on the due date of your
return, you live outside the United States
and Puerto Rico and your tax home
(defined on page 1) is outside the United
States and Puerto Rico. If you take this
extension, you must attach a statement to
your return explaining that you meet
these two conditions.
The automatic 2-month extension also
applies to paying the tax. However,
interest is charged on the unpaid tax from
the regular due date (April 15, 2006, for a
2005 calendar year return) until it is paid.
Special extension of time. The first year
you plan to take the foreign earned
income exclusion and/or the housing
exclusion or deduction, you may not
expect to qualify until after the automatic
2-month extension period described
earlier. If this occurs, you can apply for an
extension to a date after you expect to
qualify.
To apply for this extension, complete
and file Form 2350, Application for
Extension of Time To File U.S. Income
Tax Return, with the Internal Revenue
Service Center, Philadelphia, PA 19255,
before the due date of your return.
Interest is charged on the tax not paid by
the regular due date as explained earlier.

Choosing the Exclusion(s)
To choose either of the exclusions,
complete the appropriate parts of Form
2555 and file it with your Form 1040 or
Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual
Income Tax Return. Your initial choice to
claim the exclusion must usually be made
on a timely filed return (including
extensions) or on a return amending a
timely filed return. However, there are
exceptions. See Pub. 54 for details.
Once you choose to claim an
exclusion, that choice remains in effect for
that year and all future years unless it is
revoked. To revoke your choice, you must
attach a statement to your return for the
first year you do not wish to claim the
exclusion(s). If you revoke your choice,
you cannot claim the exclusion(s) for your
next 5 tax years without the approval of
the Internal Revenue Service. See Pub.
54 for more information.
Earned income credit. You cannot take
the earned income credit if you claim
either of the exclusions or the housing
deduction.

Specific Instructions
Part II
Bona Fide Residence Test
To meet this test, you must be one of the
following:
• A U.S. citizen who is a bona fide
resident of a foreign country, or countries,
for an uninterrupted period that includes
an entire tax year (January 1 – December
31, if you file a calendar year return), or
• A U.S. resident alien who is a citizen or
national of a country with which the
United States has an income tax treaty in
effect and who is a bona fide resident of a
foreign country, or countries, for an
uninterrupted period that includes an
entire tax year (January 1 – December 31,
if you file a calendar year return). See
Pub. 901, U.S. Tax Treaties, for a list of
countries with which the United States
has an income tax treaty in effect.
No specific rule determines if you are a
bona fide resident of a foreign country
because the determination involves your
intention about the length and nature of
your stay. Evidence of your intention may
be your words and acts. If these conflict,
your acts carry more weight than your
words. Generally, if you go to a foreign
country for a definite, temporary purpose
and return to the United States after you
accomplish it, you are not a bona fide
resident of the foreign country. If
accomplishing the purpose requires an
extended, indefinite stay, and you make
your home in the foreign country, you
may be a bona fide resident. See Pub. 54
for more information and examples.
Lines 13a and 13b. If you submitted a
statement of nonresidence to the
authorities of a foreign country in which
you earned income and the authorities
hold that you are not subject to their
income tax laws by reason of
nonresidency in the foreign country, you
are not considered a bona fide resident of
that country.
If you submitted such a statement and
the authorities have not made an adverse
determination of your nonresident status,
you are not considered a bona fide
resident of that country.

Part III
Physical Presence Test
To meet this test, you must be a U.S.
citizen or resident alien who is physically
present in a foreign country, or countries,
for at least 330 full days during any period
of 12 months in a row. A full day means
the 24-hour period that starts at midnight.
To figure the minimum of 330 full days’
presence, add all separate periods you
were present in a foreign country during
the 12-month period shown on line 16.
The 330 full days can be interrupted by
periods when you are traveling over
international waters or are otherwise not

-2-

in a foreign country. See Pub. 54 for more
information and examples.
Note. A nonresident alien who, with a
U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien spouse,
chooses to be taxed as a resident of the
United States can qualify under this test if
the time requirements are met. See Pub.
54 for details on how to make this choice.

Part IV
Enter in this part the total foreign earned
income you earned and received
(including income constructively received)
during the tax year. If you are a cash
basis taxpayer, report on Form 1040 all
income you received during the tax year
regardless of when you earned it.
Income is earned in the tax year you
perform the services for which you
receive the pay. But if you are a cash
basis taxpayer and, because of your
employer’s payroll periods, you received
your last salary payment for 2004 in 2005,
that income may be treated as earned in
2005. If you cannot treat that salary
payment as income earned in 2005, the
rules explained under Income earned in
prior year on page 3 apply. See Pub. 54
for more details.
Foreign earned income for this
purpose means wages, salaries,
professional fees, and other
compensation received for personal
services you performed in a foreign
country during the period for which you
meet the tax home test and either the
bona fide residence test or the physical
presence test. It also includes noncash
income (such as a home or car) and
allowances or reimbursements.
Foreign earned income does not
include amounts that are actually a
distribution of corporate earnings or
profits rather than a reasonable allowance
as compensation for your personal
services. It also does not include the
following types of income.
• Pension and annuity income (including
social security and railroad retirement
benefits treated as social security).
• Interest, ordinary dividends, capital
gains, alimony, etc.
• Portion of 2004 moving expense
deduction allocable to 2005 that is
included in your 2005 gross income. For
details, see Moving Expense Attributable
to Foreign Earnings in 2 Years under
Moving Expenses in Pub. 54.
• Amounts paid to you by the U.S.
Government or any of its agencies if you
were an employee of the U.S.
Government or any of its agencies.
• Amounts received after the end of the
tax year following the tax year in which
you performed the services.
• Amounts you must include in gross
income because of your employer’s
contributions to a nonexempt employees’
trust or to a nonqualified annuity contract.
Income received in prior year. Foreign
earned income received in 2004 for
services you performed in 2005 can be
excluded from your 2004 gross income if,

Page 3 of 4

Instructions for Form 2555

8:20 - 26-SEP-2005

The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing.

and to the extent, the income would have
been excludable if you had received it in
2005. To claim the additional exclusion,
you must amend your 2004 tax return. To
do this, file Form 1040X.
Income earned in prior year. Foreign
earned income received in 2005 for
services you performed in 2004 can be
excluded from your 2005 gross income if,
and to the extent, the income would have
been excludable if you had received it in
2004.
If you are excluding income under this
rule, do not include this income in Part IV.
Instead, attach a statement to Form 2555
showing how you figured the exclusion.
Enter the amount that would have been
excludable in 2004 on Form 2555 to the
left of line 43. Next to the amount enter
“Exclusion of Income Earned in 2004.”
Include it in the total reported on line 43.
Note. If you claimed any deduction,
credit, or exclusion on your 2004 return
that is definitely related to the 2004
foreign earned income you are excluding
under this rule, you may have to amend
your 2004 income tax return to adjust the
amount you claimed. To do this, file Form
1040X.
Line 20. If you engaged in an
unincorporated trade or business in which
both personal services and capital were
material income-producing factors, a
reasonable amount of compensation for
your personal services will be considered
earned income. The amount treated as
earned income, however, cannot be more
than 30% of your share of the net profits
from the trade or business after
subtracting the deduction for one-half of
self-employment tax.
If capital is not an income-producing
factor and personal services produced the
business income, the 30% rule does not
apply. Your entire gross income is earned
income.
Line 25. Enter the value of meals and/or
lodging provided by, or on behalf of, your
employer that is excludable from your
income under section 119. To be
excludable, the meals and lodging must
have been provided for your employer’s
convenience and on your employer’s
business premises. In addition, you must
have been required to accept the lodging
as a condition of your employment. If you
lived in a camp provided by, or on behalf
of, your employer, the camp may be
considered part of your employer’s
business premises. See Exclusion of
Meals and Lodging in Pub. 54 for details.

Part VI
Line 28. Enter the total reasonable
expenses paid or incurred during the tax
year by you, or on your behalf, for your
foreign housing and the housing of your
spouse and dependents if they lived with
you. You can also include the reasonable
expenses of a second foreign household
(defined below). Housing expenses are
considered reasonable to the extent they

are not lavish or extravagant under the
circumstances.
Housing expenses include rent, utilities
(other than telephone charges), real and
personal property insurance,
nonrefundable fees paid to obtain a lease,
rental of furniture and accessories,
residential parking, and household
repairs. You can also include the fair
rental value of housing provided by, or on
behalf of, your employer if you have not
excluded it on line 25.
Do not include deductible interest and
taxes, any amount deductible by a
tenant-stockholder in connection with
cooperative housing, the cost of buying or
improving a house, principal payments on
a mortgage, or depreciation on the house.
Also, do not include the cost of domestic
labor, pay television, or the cost of buying
furniture or accessories.
Include expenses for housing only
during periods for which:
• The value of your housing is not
excluded from gross income under
section 119 (unless you maintained a
second foreign household as defined
below), and
• You meet the tax home test and either
the bona fide residence or physical
presence test.
Second foreign household. If you
maintained a separate foreign household
for your spouse and dependents at a
place other than your tax home because
the living conditions at your tax home
were dangerous, unhealthful, or otherwise
adverse, you can include the expenses of
the second household on line 28.
Married couples. The following rules
apply if both you and your spouse qualify
for the tax benefits of Form 2555:
If you and your spouse lived in the
same foreign household and file a joint
return, you can figure your housing
amounts (line 31) either separately or
jointly. If you file separate returns, you
must figure your housing amounts
separately. In figuring your housing
amounts separately, you can allocate
your qualified housing expenses (line 28)
between yourselves in any proportion you
wish, but each spouse claiming a housing
amount must use his or her full base
amount housing amount (line 30). In
figuring your housing amount jointly,
either spouse (but not both) can claim the
housing exclusion or housing deduction.
However, if you and your spouse have
different periods of residence or presence
and the one with the shorter period of
residence or presence claims the
exclusion or deduction, you can claim as
housing expenses only the expenses for
that shorter period. The spouse claiming
the exclusion or deduction can aggregate
the housing expenses of both spouses
and subtract his or her base housing
amount.
If you and your spouse lived in
separate foreign households, you each
can claim qualified expenses for your own
household only if:

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1. Your tax homes were not within a
reasonable commuting distance of each
other, and
2. Each spouse’s household was not
within a reasonable commuting distance
of the other spouse’s tax home.
Otherwise, only one spouse can claim
his or her housing exclusion or deduction.
This is true even if you and your spouse
file separate returns.
See Pub. 54 for additional information.
Line 29. Enter the number of days in
your qualifying period that fall within your
2005 tax year. Your qualifying period is
the period during which you meet the tax
home test and either the bona fide
residence or the physical presence test.
Example. You establish a tax home
and bona fide residence in a foreign
country on August 14, 2005. You maintain
the tax home and residence until January
31, 2007. You are a calendar year
taxpayer. The number of days in your
qualifying period that fall within your 2005
tax year is 140 (August 14 through
December 31, 2005).
Nontaxable U.S. Government
allowances. If you or your spouse
received a nontaxable housing allowance
as a military or civilian employee of the
U.S. Government, see Pub. 54 for
information on how that allowance may
affect your housing exclusion or
deduction.
Line 32. Enter any amount your
employer paid or incurred on your behalf
that is foreign earned income included in
your gross income for the tax year
(without regard to section 911).
Examples of employer-provided
amounts are:
• Wages and salaries received from your
employer.
• The fair market value of compensation
provided in kind (such as the fair rental
value of lodging provided by your
employer as long as it is not excluded on
line 25).
• Rent paid by your employer directly to
your landlord.
• Amounts paid by your employer to
reimburse you for housing expenses,
educational expenses of your
dependents, or as part of a tax
equalization plan.
Self-employed individuals. If all of your
foreign earned income (Part IV) is
self-employment income, skip lines 32
and 33 and enter -0- on line 34. If you
qualify, be sure to complete Part IX.

Part VII
Married couples. If both you and your
spouse qualify for, and choose to claim,
the foreign earned income exclusion, the
amount of the exclusion is figured
separately for each of you. You each
must complete Part VII of your separate
Forms 2555.
Community income. The amount of the
exclusion is not affected by the
income-splitting provisions of community

Page 4 of 4

Instructions for Form 2555

8:20 - 26-SEP-2005

The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing.

property laws. The sum of the amounts
figured separately for each of you is the
total amount excluded on a joint return.

Part VIII
If you claim either of the exclusions, you
cannot claim any deduction (including
moving expenses), credit, or exclusion
that is definitely related to the excluded
income. If only part of your foreign earned
income is excluded, you must prorate
such items based on the ratio that your
excludable earned income bears to your
total foreign earned income. See Pub. 54
for details on how to figure the amount
allocable to the excluded income.
The exclusion under section 119 and
the housing deduction are not considered
definitely related to the excluded income.
Line 42. Report in full on Form 1040 and
related forms and schedules all
deductions allowed in figuring your
adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line
37). Enter on line 42 the total amount of
those deductions (such as the deduction
for moving expenses, the deduction for
one-half of self-employment tax, and the
expenses claimed on Schedule C or C-EZ
(Form 1040)) that are not allowed

because they are allocable to the
excluded income. This applies only to
deductions definitely related to the
excluded earned income. See Pub. 54 for
details on how to report your itemized
deductions (such as unreimbursed
employee business expenses) that are
allocable to the excluded income.
IRA deduction. The IRA deduction is not
definitely related to the excluded income.
However, special rules apply in figuring
the amount of your IRA deduction. For
details, see Pub. 590, Individual
Retirement Arrangements (IRAs).
Foreign taxes. You cannot take a credit
or deduction for foreign income taxes paid
or accrued on income that is excluded
under either of the exclusions.
If all of your foreign earned income is
excluded, you cannot claim a credit or
deduction for the foreign taxes paid or
accrued on that income.
If only part of your income is excluded,
you cannot claim a credit or deduction for
the foreign taxes allocable to the
excluded income. See Pub. 514, Foreign
Tax Credit for Individuals, for details on

Housing Deduction Carryover Worksheet — Line 47
Keep for Your Records
1 Enter the amount from your 2004 Form 2555, line 44 . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

2 Enter the amount from your 2004 Form 2555, line 46 . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3 Subtract line 2 from line 1. If the result is zero, stop; enter -0- on line
47 of your 2005 Form 2555. You do not have any housing deduction
carryover from 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4 Enter the amount from your 2005 Form 2555, line 45 . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5 Enter the amount from your 2005 Form 2555, line 46 . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

6 Subtract line 5 from line 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.

7 Enter the smaller of line 3 or line 6 here and on line 47 of your 2005
Form 2555. If line 3 is more than line 6, you may not carry the
difference over to any future tax year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 䊳 7.

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how to figure the amount allocable to the
excluded income.

Part IX
If line 31 is more than line 34 and line 27
is more than line 41, complete this part to
figure your housing deduction. Also,
complete this part to figure your housing
deduction carryover from 2004.
One-year carryover. If the amount on
line 44 is more than the amount on line
45, you may carry the difference over to
your 2006 tax year. If you cannot deduct
the excess in 2006 because of the 2006
limit, you may not carry it over to any
future tax year.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We
ask for the information on this form to
carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the
United States. You are required to give us
the information. We need it to ensure that
you are complying with these laws and to
allow us to figure and collect the right
amount of tax.
You are not required to provide the
information requested on a form that is
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
unless the form displays a valid OMB
control number. Books or records relating
to a form or its instructions must be
retained as long as their contents may
become material in the administration of
any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax
returns and return information are
confidential, as required by section 6103.
The average time and expenses
required to complete and file this form will
vary depending on individual
circumstances. For the estimated
averages, see the instructions for your
income tax return.
If you have suggestions for making this
form simpler, we would be happy to hear
from you. See the instructions for your
income tax return.