2555 Foreign Earned Income

Form

2555

OMB No. 1545-0074

Foreign Earned Income
©

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

See separate instructions.

©

2008

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 ©
Employer’s U.S. address ©
Employer’s foreign address ©
a
A foreign entity
b
A U.S. company
c
Self
Employer is (check
any that apply):
d
A foreign affiliate of a U.S. company
e
Other (specify) ©
If, after 1981, you filed Form 2555 or Form 2555-EZ, enter the last year you filed the form. ©
If you did not file Form 2555 or 2555-EZ after 1981 to claim either of the exclusions, check here ©
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. ©
Of what country are you a citizen/national? ©
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. ©
List your tax home(s) during your tax year and date(s) established. ©

6a
b
c
d
7
8a
b
9

2 Your occupation

©

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 ©
Kind of living quarters in foreign country

, and ended ©
a
Purchased house b
Rented house or apartment c
Rented room
d
Quarters furnished by employer
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? ©
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

©

(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)

©

Enter the type of visa under which you entered the foreign country. ©
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. ©

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

Cat. No. 11900P

Form

2555

(2008)

Form 2555 (2008)

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 2008 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 2008, no matter when you performed
the service.
Amount
(in U.S. dollars)

2008 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 2008
©
foreign earned income

25
26
Form

2555

(2008)

Form 2555 (2008)

Part V
27

32
33
34
35
36

27

Taxpayers Claiming the Housing Exclusion and/or Deduction

Qualified housing expenses for the tax year (see instructions)
Enter location where housing expenses incurred (see instructions) ©
Enter limit on housing expenses (see instructions)
Enter the smaller of line 28 or line 29b
Number of days in your qualifying period that fall within your 2008 tax
days
31
year (see instructions)
Multiply $38.30 by the number of days on line 31. If 366 is entered on line 31, enter $14,016.00 here
Subtract line 32 from line 30. If the result is zero or less, do not complete the rest of this part or
any of Part IX
34
Enter employer-provided amounts (see instructions)
Divide line 34 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 33 by line 35. Enter the result but do not enter more than the
©
amount on line 34. 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

38

● If you completed Part VI, enter the number from line 31.
days
38
● All others, enter the number of days in your qualifying period that
fall within your 2008 tax year (see the instructions for line 31).
● If line 38 and the number of days in your 2008 tax year (usually 366) are the same, enter “1.000.”
● Otherwise, divide line 38 by the number of days in your 2008 tax year and enter the result
as a decimal (rounded to at least three places).
Multiply line 37 by line 39
Subtract line 36 from line 27
Foreign earned income exclusion. Enter the smaller of line 40 or line 41. Also, complete Part VIII ©

40
41
42

Part VIII
43
44
45

%

%

29b
30

32
33

3

35

.

36

37

$87,600

39

3

00

.

40
41
42

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

Add lines 36 and 42
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 44 from line 43. 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
©
to arrive at total income on Form 1040, line 22

Part IX

28

Taxpayers Claiming the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

37

39

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
29a
b
30
31

Page

43
44

45

Taxpayers Claiming the Housing Deduction—Complete this part only if (a) line 33 is more than line
36 and (b) line 27 is more than line 43.

46
47
48

Subtract line 36 from line 33
Subtract line 43 from line 27
Enter the smaller of line 46 or line 47
Note: If line 47 is more than line 48 and you could not deduct all of your 2007 housing deduction
because of the 2007 limit, use the worksheet on page 4 of the instructions to figure the amount
to enter on line 49. Otherwise, go to line 50.

46
47
48

49

Housing deduction carryover from 2007 (from worksheet on page 4 of the instructions)

49

50

Housing deduction. Add lines 48 and 49. 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
©
reported on that line

50
Form

2555

(2008)