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Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
2024

Instructions for Form 2555

Foreign Earned Income

Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless Note. Income from working abroad as an employee of the U.S.
otherwise noted. Government does not qualify for either of the exclusions or the
housing deduction. Don't file Form 2555.
Future Developments Tax home test. To meet this test, your tax home must be in a
For the latest information about developments related to Form foreign country, or countries (see Foreign country, earlier),
2555 and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they throughout your period of bona fide residence or physical
were published, go to IRS.gov/Form2555. presence, whichever applies. For this purpose, your period of
physical presence is the 330 full days during which you were
What's New present in a foreign country, or countries, not the 12 consecutive
Exclusion amount. For 2024, the maximum exclusion amount months during which those days occurred.
has increased to $126,500.
Note. If you did not live 330 full days in a foreign country, or
Reminder countries, during a 12-month period, you are not entitled to claim
the foreign earned income exclusion. The 330 qualifying days do
Tax home for individuals serving in a combat zone. Certain not have to be consecutive.
individuals serving in a combat zone in support of the U.S. Your tax home is your regular or principal place of business,
Armed Forces may nonetheless establish a tax home in the employment, or post of duty, regardless of where you maintain
foreign country of the combat zone. For more information, see your family residence. If you don't have a regular or principal
Tax home test under Who Qualifies, later. place of business because of the nature of your trade or
business, your tax home is your regular place of abode (the
General Instructions place where you regularly live).
You aren't considered to have a tax home in a foreign country
Don't include on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 25a or 25b for any period during which your abode is in the United States,
! (federal income tax withheld from Form(s) W-2 or 1099, unless you are serving in support of the U.S. Armed Forces in an
CAUTION respectively), any taxes an employer withheld from your
area designated as a combat zone. See Service in a combat
pay that were paid to the foreign country's tax authority instead zone, later. Otherwise, if your abode is in the United States, you
of the U.S. Treasury. will not meet the tax home test and cannot claim the foreign
earned income exclusion.
Purpose of Form The location of your abode is based on where you maintain
If you qualify, you can use Form 2555 to figure your foreign your family, economic, and personal ties. Your abode is not
earned income exclusion and your housing exclusion or necessarily in the United States merely because you maintain a
deduction. You cannot exclude or deduct more than the amount dwelling in the United States, whether or not your spouse and
of your foreign earned income for the year. dependents use the dwelling. Your abode is not necessarily in
the United States while you are temporarily in the United States.
General Information However, these factors can contribute to your having an abode in
If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien living in a foreign the United States.
country, you are subject to the same U.S. income tax laws that Example. You are employed on an offshore oil rig in the
apply to U.S. citizens and resident aliens living in the United territorial waters of a foreign country and work a 28-day-on/
States. 28-day-off schedule. You return to your family residence in the
Note. Specific rules apply to determine if you are a resident or United States during your off periods. You are considered to
nonresident alien of the United States. See Pub. 519. 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
Foreign country. A foreign country is any territory under the deduction.
sovereignty of a government other than that of the United States. Service in a combat zone. Citizens or residents of the
The term “foreign country” includes the country's territorial United States serving in an area designated by the President of
waters and airspace, but not international waters and the the United States by Executive order as a combat zone for
airspace above them. It also includes the seabed and subsoil of purposes of section 112 in support of the U.S. Armed Forces can
those submarine areas adjacent to the country's territorial waters qualify as having a tax home in a foreign country, even if they
over which it has exclusive rights under international law to have an abode within the United States. For a list of
explore and exploit the natural resources. IRS-recognized combat zones, go to IRS.gov/Newsroom/
The term “foreign country” doesn't include U.S. territories. It Combat-Zones.
doesn't include the Antarctic region.
Travel to Cuba
Who Qualifies Generally, if you were in Cuba in violation of U.S. travel
You qualify to exclude your foreign earned income from gross restrictions, the following rules apply.
income if both of the following apply. • Any time spent in Cuba can't be counted in determining if you
• You meet the tax home test (discussed later). qualify under the bona fide residence or physical presence test.
• You meet either the bona fide residence test or the physical • Any income earned in Cuba isn't considered foreign earned
presence test (discussed later). income.

Jun 21, 2024 Cat. No. 11901A

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• Any housing expenses in Cuba (or housing expenses for your        Amended return.     File Form 1040-X to change a return you 
spouse or dependents in another country while you were in           have already filed. Generally, Form 1040-X must be filed within 3 
Cuba) aren't considered qualified housing expenses.                 years after the date the original return was filed or within 2 years 
                                                                    after the date the tax was paid, whichever is later.
Note. If you performed services at the U.S. Naval Base at 
Guantanamo Bay, you were not in violation of U.S. travel            Where To File
restrictions.                                                       Attach Form 2555 to Form 1040 or 1040-SR when filed. Mail 
                                                                    your Form 1040 or 1040-SR to one of the special addresses 
Waiver of Time Requirements                                         designated for those filing Form 2555. Do not mail your Form 
If your tax home was in a foreign country and you were a bona       1040 or 1040-SR to the addresses associated with your state of 
fide resident of, or physically present in, a foreign country and   residence if Form 2555 is attached. See the Instructions for Form 
had to leave because of war, civil unrest, or similar adverse       1040. The filing addresses are also available at IRS.gov/Filing/
conditions, the minimum time requirements specified under the       International-Where-To-File-Form-1040-Addresses-for-
bona fide residence and physical presence tests may be waived.      Taxpayers-and-Tax-Professionals.
You must be able to show that you could have reasonably 
expected to meet the minimum time requirements if you hadn't        Choosing the Exclusion(s)
been required to leave. Each year, the IRS will publish in the      To choose either of the exclusions, complete the appropriate 
Internal Revenue Bulletin a list of the only countries that qualify parts of Form 2555 and file it with your Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 
for the waiver for the previous year and the dates they qualify. If 1040-X. Your initial choice to claim the exclusion must usually be 
you left one of the countries during the period indicated, you can  made on a timely filed return (including extensions) or on a 
claim the tax benefits on Form 2555, but only for the number of     return amending a timely filed return. However, there are 
days you were a bona fide resident of, or physically present in,    exceptions. See Pub. 54 for details.
the foreign country.
                                                                    Once you choose to claim the exclusion(s), that choice 
  If you can claim either of the exclusions or the housing          remains in effect for that year and all future years unless it is 
deduction because of the waiver of time requirements, attach a      revoked. To revoke your choice, you must attach a statement to 
statement to your return explaining that you expected to meet the   your return for the first year you don't wish to claim the 
applicable time requirement, but the conditions in the foreign      exclusion(s). If you revoke your choice, you can't claim the 
country prevented you from the normal conduct of business.          exclusion(s) for your next 5 tax years without the approval of the 
Also, enter “Claiming Waiver” in the top margin on page 1 of        IRS. See Pub. 54 for more information.
Form 2555.
                                                                    Note. It is not necessary to affirmatively revoke your choice if 
Additional Information                                              you don’t have any foreign earned income.
Pub. 54 has more information about the bona fide residence test, 
the physical presence test, the foreign earned income exclusion,    Additional child tax credit. You can't take the additional child 
and the housing exclusion and deduction. You can download this      tax credit if you claim either of the exclusions or the housing 
publication (as well as other forms and publications) at IRS.gov/   deduction.
Forms.                                                              Earned income credit.   You can't take the earned income credit 
                                                                    if you claim either of the exclusions or the housing deduction.
When To File
                                                                    Foreign tax credit or deduction.    You can't take a credit or 
A 2024 calendar year Form 1040 or 1040-SR is generally due          deduction for foreign income taxes paid or accrued on income 
April 15, 2025.                                                     that is excluded under either of the exclusions. If all of your 
  However, you are automatically granted a 2-month extension        foreign earned income is excluded, you can't claim a credit or 
of time to file (to June 16, 2025, for a 2024 calendar year return) deduction for the foreign taxes paid or accrued on that income. If 
if, on the due date of your return, you live outside the United     only part of your income is excluded, you can't claim a credit or 
States and Puerto Rico and your tax home (defined earlier) is       deduction for the foreign taxes allocable to the excluded income. 
outside the United States and Puerto Rico. If using this            See Pub. 514 for details on how to figure the amount allocable to 
extension, you must attach a statement to your return explaining    the excluded income.
that you meet these two conditions.
                                                                    IRA deduction.  If you claim either of the exclusions, special 
  The automatic 2-month extension also applies to paying the        rules apply in figuring the amount of your IRA deduction. For 
tax. However, you will owe interest on any tax not paid by the      details, see Pub. 590-A.
regular due date of your return.
When to claim the exclusion(s).    The first year you plan to       Figuring Tax on Income Not Excluded
take the foreign earned income exclusion and/or the housing         If you claim either of the exclusions or the housing deduction, 
exclusion or deduction, you may not yet have met either the         you must figure the tax on your nonexcluded income using the 
physical presence test or the bona fide residence test by the due   tax rates that would have applied had you not claimed the 
date of your return (including the automatic 2-month extension,     exclusions. See the Instructions for Form 1040 and complete the 
discussed earlier). If this occurs, you can either:                 Foreign Earned Income Tax Worksheet to figure the amount of 
  1. Apply for a special extension to a date after you expect to    tax to enter on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 16. When figuring 
qualify, or                                                         your alternative minimum tax on Form 6251, you must use the 
                                                                    Foreign Earned Income Tax Worksheet in the Instructions for 
  2. File your return timely without claiming the exclusion and     Form 6251.
then file an amended return after you qualify.
  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)

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Part III
Specific Instructions
Physical Presence Test
Part I
To meet this test, you must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien who
Line 1. Enter your entire address, including city or town, state or is physically present in a foreign country, or countries, for at least
province, country, and ZIP or foreign postal code. If using a 330 full days during any period of 12 months in a row. A full day
military or diplomatic address, include the country in which you means the 24-hour period that starts at midnight.
are living or stationed.
To figure 330 full days, add all separate periods you were
Line 9. Enter your tax home(s) and date(s) established. See Tax present in a foreign country during the 12-month period shown
home test under Who Qualifies, earlier. on line 16. The 330 full days can be interrupted by periods when
you are traveling over international waters or are otherwise not in
You must complete either Part II or Part III of Form 2555, a foreign country. See Pub. 54 for more information and
! but not both parts. examples.
CAUTION
Note. A nonresident alien who, with a U.S. citizen or U.S.
Part II resident alien spouse, chooses to be taxed as a resident of the
United States can qualify under this test if the time requirements
Bona Fide Residence Test are met. See Pub. 54 for details on how to make this choice.
To meet this test, you must be one of the following. Line 16. The 12-month period on which the physical presence
• A U.S. citizen who is a bona fide resident of a foreign country, test is based must include 365 days (366 days during a leap
or countries, for an uninterrupted period that includes an entire year), part of which must be in 2024. The dates may begin or
tax year (January 1–December 31, if you file a calendar year end in a calendar year other than 2024.
return).
• A U.S. resident alien who is a citizen or national of a country You must enter dates in both spaces provided on line 16.
with which the United States has an income tax treaty in effect TIP Don't enter “Continues” in the space for the ending date.
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 Part IV
Table 3 at IRS.gov/TreatyTables for a list of countries with which
the United States has an income tax treaty in effect. Foreign Earned Income
Enter in this part the total foreign earned income you earned and
Whether you are a bona fide resident of a foreign country received (including income constructively received) during the
depends on your intention about the length and nature of your tax year. If you are a cash basis taxpayer, include in income on
stay. Evidence of your intention may be your words and acts. If Form 1040 or 1040-SR the foreign earned income you received
these conflict, your acts carry more weight than your words. during the tax year regardless of when you earned it. (For
Generally, if you go to a foreign country for a definite, temporary example, include wages from Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 1.)
purpose and return to the United States after you accomplish it,
you aren't a bona fide resident of the foreign country. If Income is earned in the tax year you perform the services for
accomplishing the purpose requires an extended, indefinite stay, which you receive the pay. But if you are a cash basis taxpayer
and you make your home in the foreign country, you may be a and, because of your employer's payroll periods, you received
bona fide resident. See Pub. 54 for more information and your last salary payment for 2023 in 2024, that income may be
examples. treated as earned in 2024. If you cannot treat that salary
Line 10. Enter the dates your bona fide residence began and payment as income earned in 2024, the rules explained under
ended. If you are still a bona fide resident, enter “Continues” in Income earned in prior year, later, apply. See Pub. 54 for more
the space for the date your bona fide residence ended. details.
Lines 12a and 12b. If you check “Yes” on line 12a, enter the Foreign earned income for this purpose means wages,
type(s) of family member(s) and the date(s) they lived with you salaries, professional fees, and other compensation received for
on line 12b. Acceptable entries for family members on line 12b personal services you performed in a foreign country during the
include child, foster child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, period for which you meet the tax home test and either the bona
brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, son, daughter, fide residence test or the physical presence test. It also includes
spouse, or other. If you check “No” on line 12a, leave line 12b noncash income (such as a home or car) and allowances or
blank or enter “None.” reimbursements.
Lines 13a and 13b. If you submitted a statement of Foreign earned income doesn't include amounts that are
nonresidence to the authorities of a foreign country in which you actually a distribution of corporate earnings or profits rather than
earned income and the authorities hold that you aren't subject to a reasonable allowance as compensation for your personal
their income tax laws by reason of nonresidency in the foreign services.
country, you aren't considered a bona fide resident of that
country. Foreign earned income also doesn't include the following
types of income.
If you submitted such a statement and the authorities haven't Pension and annuity income (including social security benefits
made an adverse determination of your nonresident status, you •
and railroad retirement benefits treated as social security).
aren't considered a bona fide resident of that country.
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
Instructions for Form 2555 (2024) 3

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(WEP). For more information about the WEP, go to SSA.gov/ are considered reasonable to the extent they aren't lavish or
International/WEP_Intro.html. extravagant under the circumstances.
• Interest, ordinary dividends, capital gains, alimony, etc. Housing expenses include rent, utilities (other than telephone
• Amounts paid to you by the U.S. Government or any of its charges), real and personal property insurance, nonrefundable
agencies if you were an employee of the U.S. Government or any fees paid to obtain a lease, rental of furniture and accessories,
of its agencies. residential parking, and household repairs. You can also include
• Amounts received after the end of the tax year following the the fair rental value of housing provided by, or on behalf of, your
tax year in which you performed the services. employer if you haven't excluded it on line 25.
• Amounts you must include in gross income because of your Don't include deductible interest and taxes, any amount
employer’s contributions to a nonexempt employees’ trust or to a deductible by a tenant-stockholder in connection with
nonqualified annuity contract. cooperative housing, the cost of buying or improving a house,
Income received in prior year. Foreign earned income principal payments on a mortgage, or depreciation on the house.
received in 2023 for services you performed in 2024 can be Also, don't include the cost of domestic labor, pay television, or
excluded from your 2023 gross income if, and to the extent, the buying furniture or accessories.
income would have been excludable if you had received it in Include expenses for housing only during periods for which:
2024. To claim the additional exclusion, you must amend your • The value of your housing isn't excluded from gross income
2023 tax return. To do this, file Form 1040-X. under section 119 (unless you maintained a second foreign
household, as defined later), and
Income earned in prior year. Foreign earned income received You meet the tax home test and either the bona fide residence
in 2024 for services you performed in 2023 can be excluded •
or physical presence test.
from your 2024 gross income if, and to the extent, the income
would have been excludable if you had received it in 2023. Second foreign household. If you maintained a separate
If you are excluding income under this rule, do not include this foreign household for your spouse and dependents at a place
income in Part IV. Instead, attach a statement to Form 2555 other than your tax home because the living conditions at your
showing how you figured the exclusion. Enter the amount that tax home were dangerous, unhealthful, or otherwise adverse,
would have been excludable in 2023 on Form 2555 to the left of you can include the expenses of the second household on
line 45. Next to the amount, enter “Exclusion of Income Earned line 28.
in 2023.” Include it in the total reported on line 45. Married couples. The following rules apply if both you and your
Note. If you claimed any deduction, credit, or exclusion on your spouse qualify for the tax benefits of Form 2555.
2023 return that is definitely related to the 2023 foreign earned Same foreign household. If you and your spouse lived in the
income you are excluding under this rule, you may have to same foreign household and file a joint return, you must figure
amend your 2023 income tax return to adjust the amount you your housing amounts (line 33) jointly. If you file separate returns,
claimed. To do this, file Form 1040-X. only one spouse can claim the housing exclusion or deduction.
Line 20. If you engaged in an unincorporated trade or business In figuring your housing amount jointly, either spouse (but not
in which both personal services and capital were material both) can claim the housing exclusion or housing deduction.
income-producing factors, a reasonable amount of However, if you and your spouse have different periods of
compensation for your personal services will be considered residence or presence, and the one with the shorter period of
earned income. The amount treated as earned income, however, residence or presence claims the exclusion or deduction, you
can't be more than 30% of your share of the net profits from the can claim as housing expenses only the expenses for that
trade or business after subtracting the deduction for the shorter period. The spouse claiming the exclusion or deduction
employer-equivalent portion of self-employment tax. can aggregate the housing expenses of both spouses, subject to
the limit on housing expenses (line 29b), and subtract their base
If capital is not an income-producing factor and personal housing amount.
services produced the business income, the 30% rule does not Separate foreign households. If you and your spouse lived
apply. Your entire gross income is earned income. in separate foreign households, you each can claim qualified
Line 23. List other foreign earned income not included on lines expenses for your own household only if:
19 through 22. You can enter “Various” on the dotted lines to the • Your tax homes weren't within a reasonable commuting
left of the entry space if you have other foreign earned income distance of each other, and
from multiple sources. • Each spouse's household wasn't within a reasonable
commuting distance of the other spouse's tax home.
Line 25. Enter the value of meals and/or lodging provided by, or
on behalf of, your employer that is excludable from your income Otherwise, only one spouse can claim their housing exclusion
under section 119. To be excludable, the meals and lodging or deduction. This is true even if you and your spouse file
must have been provided for your employer's convenience and separate returns.
on your employer's business premises. In addition, you must See Pub. 54 for additional information.
have been required to accept the lodging as a condition of your Line 29a. Enter the city or other location (if applicable) and the
employment. If you lived in a camp provided by, or on behalf of, country where you incurred foreign housing expenses during the
your employer, the camp may be considered part of your tax year only if your location is listed in Notice 2024-31, available
employer's business premises. See Exclusion of Meals and at IRS.gov/irb/2024-15_IRB#NOT-2024-31; otherwise, leave this
Lodging in Pub. 54 for details. line blank.
Part VI Line 29b. Your housing expenses may not exceed a certain
limit. The limit on housing expenses varies depending upon the
Line 28. Enter the total reasonable expenses paid or incurred location in which you incur housing expenses. In 2024, for most
during the tax year by you, or on your behalf, for your foreign locations, this limit is $37,950 (30% of $126,500) if your
housing and the housing of your spouse and dependents if they qualifying period includes all of 2024 (or $103.69 per day if the
lived with you. You can also include the reasonable expenses of number of days in your qualifying period that fall within your 2024
a second foreign household (defined later). Housing expenses tax year is less than 366). Eligible housing amounts for exclusion

4 Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)

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Limit on Housing Expenses Worksheet—Line 29b Keep for Your Records
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.
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 If you moved during the 2024 tax year and are
information. ! completing more than one Limit on Housing Expenses
Housing expense limits are based on geographic differences CAUTION Worksheet—Line 29b, the total number of days entered
in foreign housing costs relative to housing costs in the United on line 1 of your worksheets may not exceed the total number of
States. They are updated on a yearly basis. See Notice 2024-31 days in your qualifying period that fall within the 2024 tax year
for a list of specific locations. If the location in which you incurred (that is, the number of days entered on Form 2555, line 31).
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 Line 31. Enter the number of days in your qualifying period that
less than 366, use the Limit on Housing Expenses fall within your 2024 tax year. Your qualifying period is the period
Worksheet—Line 29b to figure the amount to enter on line 29b. If during which you meet the tax home test and either the bona fide
the location in which you incurred housing expenses is not listed residence or physical presence test.
in Notice 2024-31, and the number of days in your qualifying Example. You establish a tax home and bona fide residence
period is 366, enter $37,950 on line 29b. in a foreign country on August 14, 2024. You maintain the tax
home and residence until January 31, 2026. You are a calendar
Example. For 2024, because your location is not listed in the year taxpayer. The number of days in your qualifying period that
table in Notice 2024-31, your limit on housing expenses is fall within your 2024 tax year is 140 (August 14 through
$103.69 per day. If you file a calendar year return and your December 31, 2024).
qualifying period is January 1, 2024, to October 2, 2024 (276
days), you would enter $28,618 on line 29b ($103.69 multiplied Nontaxable U.S. Government allowances. If you or your
by 276 days). spouse received a nontaxable housing allowance as a military or
Election to apply higher limit on housing expenses. For civilian employee of the U.S. Government, see Pub. 54 for
2023, you could elect to apply the 2024 limits on housing information on how that allowance may affect your housing
expenses as discussed in section 4 of Notice 2024-31. exclusion or deduction.
The IRS and the Treasury Department anticipate that you will Line 34. Enter any amount your employer paid or incurred on
also be allowed to make an election to apply the 2025 limits to your behalf that is foreign earned income included in your gross
figure your 2024 limit on housing expenses. The authorization to income for the tax year (without regard to section 911).
make the election will be provided in a future annual notice Examples of employer-provided amounts are the following.
published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. • Wages and salaries received from your employer.
More than one foreign location. If you moved during the • The fair market value of compensation provided in kind (such
2024 tax year and incurred housing expenses in more than one as the fair rental value of lodging provided by your employer as
foreign location as a result, complete the Limit on Housing long as it isn't excluded on line 25).
Expenses Worksheet—Line 29b for each location in which you • Rent paid by your employer directly to your landlord.
incurred housing expenses, entering the number of qualifying • Amounts paid by your employer to reimburse you for housing
days during which you lived in the applicable location on line 1. expenses, for educational expenses of your dependents, or as
Add the results shown on line 4 of each worksheet, and enter the part of a tax equalization plan.
total on line 29b.
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.

Instructions for Form 2555 (2024) 5

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Housing Deduction Carryover Worksheet—Line 49                                                       Keep for Your Records
  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.  

                                                                  (Form 1040)) that aren't allowed because they are allocable to 
Part VII                                                          the excluded income. This applies only to deductions definitely 
Married couples. If both you and your spouse qualify for, and     related to the excluded earned income. See Pub. 54 for details 
choose to claim, the foreign earned income exclusion, figure the  on how to report your itemized deductions that are allocable to 
amount of the exclusion separately for each of you. You each      the excluded income.
must complete Part VII of your separate Forms 2555.               Line 45. Enter the amount from line 45 on Schedule 1 (Form 
Community income.  The amount of the exclusion is not             1040), line 8d. Reduce the other items of additional income by 
affected by the income-splitting provisions of community          the negative amount on line 8d and enter the total on Schedule 1 
property laws. The sum of the amounts figured separately for      (Form 1040), line 9.
each of you is the total amount excluded on a joint return.       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 
Part VIII                                                         1040) is a negative number, enter it on line 8 of Form 1040 or 
If you claim either of the exclusions, you can't claim any        1040-SR in parentheses. Reduce the total of lines 1 through 7 of 
deduction, credit, or exclusion that is definitely related to the Form 1040 or 1040-SR by this amount before reporting total 
excluded income. If only part of your foreign earned income is    income on line 9 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR.
excluded, you must prorate such items based on the ratio that 
your excludable earned income bears to your total foreign         Part IX
earned income. See Pub. 54 for details on how to figure the       If line 33 is more than line 36 and line 27 is more than line 43, 
amount allocable to the excluded income.                          complete this part to figure your housing deduction.
  The exclusion under section 119 and the housing deduction       Line 49.  Use the Housing Deduction Carryover 
are not considered definitely related to the excluded income.     Worksheet—Line 49 to figure your carryover from 2023.
Line 44. Report in full on Schedule 1 (Form 1040) and related     1-year carryover. If the amount on line 46 is more than the 
forms and schedules all deductions allowed in figuring your       amount on line 47, you can carry the difference over to your 
adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line 11). Enter on line 44 the  2025 tax year. If you cannot deduct the excess in 2025 because 
total amount of those deductions (such as the deductible part of  of the 2025 limit, you cannot carry it over to any future tax year.
self-employment tax, and the expenses claimed on Schedule C 

6                                                                                                   Instructions for Form 2555 (2024)

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