U.S. Individual Income Tax Return Forms

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2024

Instructions for Form 2555

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Foreign Earned Income

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Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless
otherwise noted.

Future Developments

For the latest information about developments related to Form
2555 and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they
were published, go to IRS.gov/Form2555.

What's New

Exclusion amount. For 2024, the maximum exclusion amount
has increased to $126,500.

Reminder

Tax home for individuals serving in a combat zone. Certain
individuals serving in a combat zone in support of the U.S.
Armed Forces may nonetheless establish a tax home in the
foreign country of the combat zone. For more information, see
Tax home test under Who Qualifies, later.

General Instructions

Don't include on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 25a or 25b
(federal income tax withheld from Form(s) W-2 or 1099,
CAUTION respectively), any taxes an employer withheld from your
pay that were paid to the foreign country's tax authority instead
of the U.S. Treasury.

!

Purpose of Form

If you qualify, you can use Form 2555 to figure your foreign
earned income exclusion and your housing exclusion or
deduction. You cannot exclude or deduct more than the amount
of your foreign earned income for the year.

General Information

If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien living in a foreign
country, you are subject to the same U.S. income tax laws that
apply to U.S. citizens and resident aliens living in the United
States.

Note. Specific rules apply to determine if you are a resident or
nonresident alien of the United States. See Pub. 519.
Foreign country. A foreign country is any territory under the
sovereignty of a government other than that of the United States.
The term “foreign country” includes the country's territorial
waters and airspace, but not international waters and the
airspace above them. It also includes the seabed and subsoil of
those submarine areas adjacent to the country's territorial waters
over which it has exclusive rights under international law to
explore and exploit the natural resources.
The term “foreign country” doesn't include U.S. territories. It
doesn't include the Antarctic region.

Who Qualifies

You qualify to exclude your foreign earned income from gross
income if both of the following apply.
• You meet the tax home test (discussed later).
• You meet either the bona fide residence test or the physical
presence test (discussed later).
Jun 21, 2024

Note. Income from working abroad as an employee of the U.S.
Government does not qualify for either of the exclusions or the
housing deduction. Don't file Form 2555.
Tax home test. To meet this test, your tax home must be in a
foreign country, or countries (see Foreign country, earlier),
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, or countries, not the 12 consecutive
months during which those days occurred.
Note. If you did not live 330 full days in a foreign country, or
countries, during a 12-month period, you are not entitled to claim
the foreign earned income exclusion. The 330 qualifying days do
not have to be consecutive.
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 don't 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 aren't considered to have a tax home in a foreign country
for any period during which your abode is in the United States,
unless you are serving in support of the U.S. Armed Forces in an
area designated as a combat zone. See Service in a combat
zone, later. Otherwise, if your abode is in the United States, you
will not meet the tax home test and cannot claim the foreign
earned income exclusion.
The location of your abode is based on where you maintain
your family, economic, and personal ties. Your abode is not
necessarily in the United States merely because you maintain a
dwelling in the United States, whether or not your spouse and
dependents use the dwelling. Your abode is not necessarily in
the United States while you are temporarily in the United States.
However, these factors can contribute to your having an abode in
the United States.
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 United States and don't meet the tax home
test. You can't claim either of the exclusions or the housing
deduction.
Service in a combat zone. Citizens or residents of the
United States serving in an area designated by the President of
the United States by Executive order as a combat zone for
purposes of section 112 in support of the U.S. Armed Forces can
qualify as having a tax home in a foreign country, even if they
have an abode within the United States. For a list of
IRS-recognized combat zones, go to IRS.gov/Newsroom/
Combat-Zones.

Travel to Cuba

Generally, if you were in Cuba in violation of U.S. travel
restrictions, the following rules apply.
• Any time spent in Cuba can't be counted in determining if you
qualify under the bona fide residence or physical presence test.
• Any income earned in Cuba isn't considered foreign earned
income.

Cat. No. 11901A

• Any housing expenses in Cuba (or housing expenses for your
spouse or dependents in another country while you were in
Cuba) aren't considered qualified housing expenses.
Note. If you performed services at the U.S. Naval Base at
Guantanamo Bay, you were not in violation of U.S. travel
restrictions.

Waiver of Time Requirements

Amended return. File Form 1040-X to change a return you
have already filed. Generally, Form 1040-X must be filed within 3
years after the date the original return was filed or within 2 years
after the date the tax was paid, whichever is later.

Where To File

Attach Form 2555 to Form 1040 or 1040-SR when filed. Mail
your Form 1040 or 1040-SR to one of the special addresses
designated for those filing Form 2555. Do not mail your Form
1040 or 1040-SR to the addresses associated with your state of
residence if Form 2555 is attached. See the Instructions for Form
1040. The filing addresses are also available at IRS.gov/Filing/
International-Where-To-File-Form-1040-Addresses-forTaxpayers-and-Tax-Professionals.

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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 could have reasonably
expected to meet the minimum time requirements if you hadn't
been required to leave. Each year, the IRS will publish in the
Internal Revenue Bulletin a list of the only countries that qualify
for the waiver for the previous year and the dates they qualify. 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 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
Form 2555.

Additional Information

Pub. 54 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 download this
publication (as well as other forms and publications) at IRS.gov/
Forms.

When To File

A 2024 calendar year Form 1040 or 1040-SR is generally due
April 15, 2025.
However, you are automatically granted a 2-month extension
of time to file (to June 16, 2025, for a 2024 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 earlier) is
outside the United States and Puerto Rico. If using 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, you will owe interest on any tax not paid by the
regular due date of your return.
When to claim the exclusion(s). The first year you plan to
take the foreign earned income exclusion and/or the housing
exclusion or deduction, you may not yet have met either the
physical presence test or the bona fide residence test by the due
date of your return (including the automatic 2-month extension,
discussed earlier). If this occurs, you can either:
1. Apply for a special extension to a date after you expect to
qualify, or
2. File your return timely without claiming the exclusion and
then file an amended return after you qualify.

Choosing the Exclusion(s)

To choose either of the exclusions, complete the appropriate
parts of Form 2555 and file it with your Form 1040, 1040-SR, or
1040-X. 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 the exclusion(s), 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 don't wish to claim the
exclusion(s). If you revoke your choice, you can't claim the
exclusion(s) for your next 5 tax years without the approval of the
IRS. See Pub. 54 for more information.
Note. It is not necessary to affirmatively revoke your choice if
you don’t have any foreign earned income.
Additional child tax credit. You can't take the additional child
tax credit if you claim either of the exclusions or the housing
deduction.
Earned income credit. You can't take the earned income credit
if you claim either of the exclusions or the housing deduction.
Foreign tax credit or deduction. You can't 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 can't claim a credit or
deduction for the foreign taxes paid or accrued on that income. If
only part of your income is excluded, you can't claim a credit or
deduction for the foreign taxes allocable to the excluded income.
See Pub. 514 for details on how to figure the amount allocable to
the excluded income.
IRA deduction. If you claim either of the exclusions, special
rules apply in figuring the amount of your IRA deduction. For
details, see Pub. 590-A.

Figuring Tax on Income Not Excluded

If you claim either of the exclusions or the housing deduction,
you must figure the tax on your nonexcluded income using the
tax rates that would have applied had you not claimed the
exclusions. See the Instructions for Form 1040 and complete the
Foreign Earned Income Tax Worksheet to figure the amount of
tax to enter on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 16. When figuring
your alternative minimum tax on Form 6251, you must use the
Foreign Earned Income Tax Worksheet in the Instructions for
Form 6251.

Special extension of time to file. To apply for this
extension, complete and file Form 2350 with the Department of
the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX
73301-0045, before the due date of your return. Interest is
charged on the tax not paid by the regular due date, as
explained earlier.
2

Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)

Specific Instructions
Part I
Line 1. Enter your entire address, including city or town, state or
province, country, and ZIP or foreign postal code. If using a
military or diplomatic address, include the country in which you
are living or stationed.

You must complete either Part II or Part III of Form 2555,
but not both parts.

CAUTION

Part II

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.

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Line 9. Enter your tax home(s) and date(s) established. See Tax
home test under Who Qualifies, earlier.

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Part III

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).
• 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
Table 3 at IRS.gov/TreatyTables for a list of countries with which
the United States has an income tax treaty in effect.
Whether you are a bona fide resident of a foreign country
depends on 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 aren't 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.

To figure 330 full days, 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 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.
Line 16. The 12-month period on which the physical presence
test is based must include 365 days (366 days during a leap
year), part of which must be in 2024. The dates may begin or
end in a calendar year other than 2024.
You must enter dates in both spaces provided on line 16.

TIP Don't enter “Continues” in the space for the ending date.

Part IV

Foreign Earned Income

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, include in income on
Form 1040 or 1040-SR the foreign earned income you received
during the tax year regardless of when you earned it. (For
example, include wages from Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 1.)

Line 10. Enter the dates your bona fide residence began and
ended. If you are still a bona fide resident, enter “Continues” in
the space for the date your bona fide residence ended.

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 2023 in 2024, that income may be
treated as earned in 2024. If you cannot treat that salary
payment as income earned in 2024, the rules explained under
Income earned in prior year, later, apply. See Pub. 54 for more
details.

Lines 12a and 12b. If you check “Yes” on line 12a, enter the
type(s) of family member(s) and the date(s) they lived with you
on line 12b. Acceptable entries for family members on line 12b
include child, foster child, grandchild, parent, grandparent,
brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, son, daughter,
spouse, or other. If you check “No” on line 12a, leave line 12b
blank or enter “None.”

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.

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 aren't subject to
their income tax laws by reason of nonresidency in the foreign
country, you aren't considered a bona fide resident of that
country.
If you submitted such a statement and the authorities haven't
made an adverse determination of your nonresident status, you
aren't considered a bona fide resident of that country.

Foreign earned income doesn't include amounts that are
actually a distribution of corporate earnings or profits rather than
a reasonable allowance as compensation for your personal
services.
Foreign earned income also doesn't include the following
types of income.
• Pension and annuity income (including social security benefits
and railroad retirement benefits treated as social security).
If you receive a pension from your employment abroad
and don't need a social security agreement between the
CAUTION United States and your country of residence to qualify for
retirement benefits in either country, the amount of your U.S.
benefit may be affected. This is a result of a condition in U.S.
Social Security law called the Windfall Elimination Provision

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Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)

3

(WEP). For more information about the WEP, go to SSA.gov/
International/WEP_Intro.html.

• Interest, ordinary dividends, capital gains, alimony, etc.
• 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.

are considered reasonable to the extent they aren't 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 haven't excluded it on line 25.
Don't 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, don't include the cost of domestic labor, pay television, or
buying furniture or accessories.
Include expenses for housing only during periods for which:
• The value of your housing isn't excluded from gross income
under section 119 (unless you maintained a second foreign
household, as defined later), and
• You meet the tax home test and either the bona fide residence
or physical presence test.

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Income received in prior year. Foreign earned income
received in 2023 for services you performed in 2024 can be
excluded from your 2023 gross income if, and to the extent, the
income would have been excludable if you had received it in
2024. To claim the additional exclusion, you must amend your
2023 tax return. To do this, file Form 1040-X.

Income earned in prior year. Foreign earned income received
in 2024 for services you performed in 2023 can be excluded
from your 2024 gross income if, and to the extent, the income
would have been excludable if you had received it in 2023.
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 2023 on Form 2555 to the left of
line 45. Next to the amount, enter “Exclusion of Income Earned
in 2023.” Include it in the total reported on line 45.
Note. If you claimed any deduction, credit, or exclusion on your
2023 return that is definitely related to the 2023 foreign earned
income you are excluding under this rule, you may have to
amend your 2023 income tax return to adjust the amount you
claimed. To do this, file Form 1040-X.

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,
can't be more than 30% of your share of the net profits from the
trade or business after subtracting the deduction for the
employer-equivalent portion 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 23. List other foreign earned income not included on lines
19 through 22. You can enter “Various” on the dotted lines to the
left of the entry space if you have other foreign earned income
from multiple sources.
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 later). Housing expenses

4

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.
Same foreign household. If you and your spouse lived in the
same foreign household and file a joint return, you must figure
your housing amounts (line 33) jointly. If you file separate returns,
only one spouse can claim the housing exclusion or deduction.
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, subject to
the limit on housing expenses (line 29b), and subtract their base
housing amount.
Separate foreign households. If you and your spouse lived
in separate foreign households, you each can claim qualified
expenses for your own household only if:
• Your tax homes weren't within a reasonable commuting
distance of each other, and
• Each spouse's household wasn't within a reasonable
commuting distance of the other spouse's tax home.
Otherwise, only one spouse can claim their housing exclusion
or deduction. This is true even if you and your spouse file
separate returns.
See Pub. 54 for additional information.
Line 29a. Enter the city or other location (if applicable) and the
country where you incurred foreign housing expenses during the
tax year only if your location is listed in Notice 2024-31, available
at IRS.gov/irb/2024-15_IRB#NOT-2024-31; otherwise, leave this
line blank.
Line 29b. Your housing expenses may not exceed a certain
limit. The limit on housing expenses varies depending upon the
location in which you incur housing expenses. In 2024, for most
locations, this limit is $37,950 (30% of $126,500) if your
qualifying period includes all of 2024 (or $103.69 per day if the
number of days in your qualifying period that fall within your 2024
tax year is less than 366). Eligible housing amounts for exclusion
Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)

Keep for Your Records

Limit on Housing Expenses Worksheet—Line 29b

Note. If the location in which you incurred housing expenses isn't listed in the table in Notice 2024-31, and the number of days in your
qualifying period that fall within the 2024 tax year is 366, DO NOT complete this worksheet. Instead, enter $37,950 on line 29b.
1. Enter the number of days in your qualifying period that fall within the 2024 tax year. (See the
instructions for line 31.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

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2. Did you enter 366 on line 1?

No. If the amount on line 1 is less than 366, skip line 2 and go to line 3.

Yes. Locate the amount under the column Limitation on Housing Expenses (full year) from the table
in Notice 2024-31 for the location in which you incurred housing expenses. This is your limit on
housing expenses. Enter the amount here and on line 29b. Also, see Election to apply higher limit
on housing expenses, later.
STOP

Do not complete the rest of this worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Enter the amount under the column Limitation on Housing Expenses (daily/366 days) from the table in
Notice 2024-31 for the location in which you incurred housing expenses. If the location isn't listed in the
table, enter $103.69. Also, see Election to apply higher limit on housing expenses, later . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4. Multiply line 1 by line 3. This is your limit on housing expenses. Enter the result here and
on line 29b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

and deduction are updated yearly. See Notice 2024-31 for more
information.
Housing expense limits are based on geographic differences
in foreign housing costs relative to housing costs in the United
States. They are updated on a yearly basis. See Notice 2024-31
for a list of specific locations. If the location in which you incurred
housing expenses is listed in Notice 2024-31, or the number of
days in your qualifying period that fall within the 2024 tax year is
less than 366, use the Limit on Housing Expenses
Worksheet—Line 29b to figure the amount to enter on line 29b. If
the location in which you incurred housing expenses is not listed
in Notice 2024-31, and the number of days in your qualifying
period is 366, enter $37,950 on line 29b.

Example. For 2024, because your location is not listed in the
table in Notice 2024-31, your limit on housing expenses is
$103.69 per day. If you file a calendar year return and your
qualifying period is January 1, 2024, to October 2, 2024 (276
days), you would enter $28,618 on line 29b ($103.69 multiplied
by 276 days).
Election to apply higher limit on housing expenses. For
2023, you could elect to apply the 2024 limits on housing
expenses as discussed in section 4 of Notice 2024-31.
The IRS and the Treasury Department anticipate that you will
also be allowed to make an election to apply the 2025 limits to
figure your 2024 limit on housing expenses. The authorization to
make the election will be provided in a future annual notice
published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
More than one foreign location. If you moved during the
2024 tax year and incurred housing expenses in more than one
foreign location as a result, complete the Limit on Housing
Expenses Worksheet—Line 29b for each location in which you
incurred housing expenses, entering the number of qualifying
days during which you lived in the applicable location on line 1.
Add the results shown on line 4 of each worksheet, and enter the
total on line 29b.

Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)

If you moved during the 2024 tax year and are
completing more than one Limit on Housing Expenses
CAUTION Worksheet—Line 29b, the total number of days entered
on line 1 of your worksheets may not exceed the total number of
days in your qualifying period that fall within the 2024 tax year
(that is, the number of days entered on Form 2555, line 31).

!

Line 31. Enter the number of days in your qualifying period that
fall within your 2024 tax year. Your qualifying period is the period
during which you meet the tax home test and either the bona fide
residence or physical presence test.
Example. You establish a tax home and bona fide residence
in a foreign country on August 14, 2024. You maintain the tax
home and residence until January 31, 2026. You are a calendar
year taxpayer. The number of days in your qualifying period that
fall within your 2024 tax year is 140 (August 14 through
December 31, 2024).
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 34. 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 the following.
• 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 isn't excluded on line 25).
• Rent paid by your employer directly to your landlord.
• Amounts paid by your employer to reimburse you for housing
expenses, for 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 34 and 35 and
enter zero on line 36. If you qualify for the housing deduction, be
sure to complete Part IX.

5

Keep for Your Records

Housing Deduction Carryover Worksheet—Line 49

1. Enter the amount from your 2023 Form 2555, line 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.

2. Enter the amount from your 2023 Form 2555, line 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.

3. Subtract line 2 from line 1. If the result is zero, stop; enter -0- on line 49 of your 2024 Form 2555. You do
not have any housing deduction carryover from 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.

4. Enter the amount from your 2024 Form 2555, line 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.

5. Enter the amount from your 2024 Form 2555, line 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.

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

6.

7. Enter the smaller of line 3 or line 6 here and on line 49 of your 2024 Form 2555. If line 3 is more than
line 6, you cannot carry the difference over to any future tax year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.

TREASURY/IRS
AND OMB USE
ONLY DRAFT
July 9, 2024

Part VII

Married couples. If both you and your spouse qualify for, and
choose to claim, the foreign earned income exclusion, figure the
amount of the exclusion 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
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 can't claim any
deduction, 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 44. Report in full on Schedule 1 (Form 1040) and related
forms and schedules all deductions allowed in figuring your
adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line 11). Enter on line 44 the
total amount of those deductions (such as the deductible part of
self-employment tax, and the expenses claimed on Schedule C

6

(Form 1040)) that aren't 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 that are allocable to
the excluded income.
Line 45. Enter the amount from line 45 on Schedule 1 (Form
1040), line 8d. Reduce the other items of additional income by
the negative amount on line 8d and enter the total on Schedule 1
(Form 1040), line 9.
Enter the amount from line 10 of Schedule 1 (Form 1040) on
line 8 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR. If line 10 of Schedule 1 (Form
1040) is a negative number, enter it on line 8 of Form 1040 or
1040-SR in parentheses. Reduce the total of lines 1 through 7 of
Form 1040 or 1040-SR by this amount before reporting total
income on line 9 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR.

Part IX

If line 33 is more than line 36 and line 27 is more than line 43,
complete this part to figure your housing deduction.
Line 49. Use the Housing Deduction Carryover
Worksheet—Line 49 to figure your carryover from 2023.
1-year carryover. If the amount on line 46 is more than the
amount on line 47, you can carry the difference over to your
2025 tax year. If you cannot deduct the excess in 2025 because
of the 2025 limit, you cannot carry it over to any future tax year.

Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)