Publication 1321 (October 2023) 
Special Instructions For Bona Fide Residents Of Puerto Rico Who 
Must File A U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (Form 1040 or Form 
1040-SR) 
If you are a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico who will file a U.S. Federal Income Tax Return, Form 
1040, and claim an exclusion for income earned in Puerto Rico, you will have to make certain 
adjustments on your return. These special instructions explain the adjustments, and how to make 
them on your return.
Bona Fide Residents of Puerto Rico: Generally, you are a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico if during 
the tax year, you:
•  Meet the presence test
•  Do not have a tax home outside Puerto Rico, and
•  Do not have a closer connection to the United States or to a foreign country than to Puerto Rico.
Publication 570 discusses these requirements and provides information on the special rules that apply 
in the year you are moving to or from Puerto Rico.

Who Must File
In general, section 933 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code requires that U.S. citizens who are bona 
fide residents of Puerto Rico during the entire taxable year, but who receive income from sources 
outside Puerto Rico and/or receive income as a civilian or military employee of the U.S. Government in 
Puerto Rico, must file a U.S. Federal income tax return. The income you receive from Puerto Rico 
sources is not subject to U.S. income tax. Because some of the income is exempt (under Code section 
933) a part of the itemized deductions or a part of the standard deduction amount on your U.S. return 
must be allocated to that exempt income. This computation must be made before you can determine if 
you must file a U.S. tax return, because the minimum income level at which you must file a return is 
based on the standard deduction for your particular filing status. Use the following worksheet to modify 
standard deduction and to determine if you have to file a U.S. income tax return: 
1.  Enter STANDARD DEDUCTION 
    If your filing status is (see caution below)
    Single                                      under 65 enter $13,850 . . . . . . . .
                                                65 or older enter $15,700 . . . . . . .  

    Married filing jointly                      both under 65 enter $27,700. . . . . .  
                                                one 65 or older enter $29,200 . . . . .  
                                                both 65 or older enter $30,700. . . . .  

    Head of household                           under 65 enter $20,800 . . . . . . . .  
                                                65 or older enter $22,650 . . . . . . .  

    Qualifying Surviving Spouse                 under 65 enter $27,700 . . . . . . . .  
                                                65 or older enter $29,200 . . . . . . .  

    Married filing separately                   See note after line 2d below.            }
CAUTION: If someone can claim you as a dependent, enter amount from the Standard Deduction Worksheet in 
the instructions for Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR, as applicable. 
2.  Allowable portion of STANDARD DEDUCTION 
    a.  Gross income subject to U.S. tax (include taxable social security benefits); 
         use Worksheet 1 of Pub. 915 to compute your taxable social security 
         benefits) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    b. Total gross income from all sources (including exempt P.R. Income). . . .  
    c. Divide line 2a by line 2b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    d. Adjusted filing requirement: Multiply STANDARD DEDUCTION (line 1) by 
       line 2c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

You must file a return if your gross income subject to U.S. tax (line 2a) is equal to or more than your 
adjusted filing requirement (line 2d). If you are married filing a separate return, you must file a return if 
your gross income subject to U.S. tax is equal to or more than $5. 
Publication 1321 (Rev. 10-2023)  Catalog Number 63770L  Department of the Treasury  Internal Revenue Service  www.irs.gov

Source Of Income 
The source of income is important in determining if the income may be excluded under section 933 of the Internal 
Revenue Code. The table below describes the general rules for determining the source of your income: 

                          Example Of Source Of Income Rules 
         Item of Income                                              Factor Determining Source 
         Salaries and other compensation . . . . . . . . . . . .  Where the service is performed 
         Social Security Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  *U.S. Source income by definition (IRC Sec. 861)
         Pensions: 
                                                                     Where services were performed that earned the 
         Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  pension 
         Investment earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Where pension trust is located 
         Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Residence of the payer 
         Dividends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Location of payer 
         Rents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Location of property 
         Royalties: 
         Natural resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Location of property 
         Patents, copyrights, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Where the property is used 
         Sale of real property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Location of property 

                                                                     **Seller’s tax home (but see Special Rules for Gains 
         Sale of personal property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  From Dispositions of Certain Property for exceptions) 
         Capital Gain Distribution paid by US Regulated 
         Investment Company (RIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Residence of shareholder
                                                                     For U.S. income tax purposes, generally the source of 
                                                                     income is where the taxpayer performed the underlying 
         Unemployment Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       services. 

Special Rules
Caution: *Bona Fide Residents of Puerto Rico should use Publication 915 to determine how much of their Social Security 
Benefits may be taxable.
Caution: **There are special rules for gains from dispositions of certain investment property (for example, stocks, bonds, 
debt instruments, diamonds, and gold) owned by a U.S. citizen or resident alien prior to becoming a bona fide resident of 
a possession. For additional details see Publication 570. 

Deductions
It is important to remember that deductions which apply to your exempt Puerto Rico income are not deductible on your 
Federal income tax return.
The deduction for personal exemption is suspended (reduced to $0) for tax years 2018 through 2025 by the Tax Cuts and 
Jobs Act.

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Standard Deduction
The standard deduction and the additional standard deduction for taxpayers who are blind or age 65 or over are 
deductions that do not apply to any particular type of income. If you do not itemize, they must be apportioned by the ratio 
that gross income subject to  Federal tax bears to gross income from all sources (including exempt Puerto Rico income). 
This adjustment must be made before you enter your standard deduction on line 12 of Form 1040 or line 12 of Form 
1040-SR. 
Use the following worksheet to apportion the standard deduction. 

Worksheet For Puerto Rico Filers With Exempt Income Under Section 933 Who Do Not Itemize Deductions 
1.  Enter STANDARD DEDUCTION: If your filing status is
    Single or Married filing separately enter $13,850. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
    Married filing jointly or Qualifying Surviving Spouse enter $27,700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
    Head of Household enter $20,800. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      }
CAUTION: If you are 65 or over and/or blind, enter amount from the Standard Deduction Worksheet in the instructions for 
Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR, as applicable;
or
If someone can claim you as a dependent, enter amount from the Standard Deduction Worksheet in the instructions for Form 1040 
or Form 1040-SR, as applicable. 
2.  Allowable portion of STANDARD DEDUCTION: 
    a. Gross income subject to U.S. tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
    b. Total gross income from all sources (including exempt P.R. income) . . . . . .
    c. Divide line 2a by line 2b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
    d. Multiply Standard Deduction (line 1) by line 2c and enter this amount                         
       on Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR, line 12 (allowable portion of STANDARD 
       DEDUCTION) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Write the following above line 12, Form 1040 or line 12 of Form 1040-SR: “Standard Deduction modified due to exempt income under 
section 933.” 

Example: John and Mary are U.S. citizens, under 65, and bona fide residents of Puerto Rico for all of 2023. They file a 
joint income tax return. During 2023 they received $15,000 of income from Puerto Rico sources not subject to U.S. 
income tax; $20,000 of federal wages subject to U.S. income tax and $6,000 interest income from a bank account in the 
U.S. They do not itemize deductions. Line 15 of their Federal tax return, Form 1040, shows $26,000. They will apportion 
their standard deduction as follows: 

Worksheet For Puerto Rico Filers With Exempt Income Under Section 933 Who Do Not Itemize Deductions 
1.  Enter STANDARD DEDUCTION for: 
    Single or Married filing separately enter $13,850  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
    Married filing jointly or Qualifying Surviving Spouse enter $27,700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      27,700
    Head of Household enter $20,800  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      }
CAUTION: If you are 65 or over and/or blind, enter amount from the Standard Deduction Worksheet in the instructions for Form 
1040, as applicable; 
or
If someone can claim you as a dependent, enter amount from the Standard Deduction Worksheet in the instructions for Form 
1040, as applicable.
2.  Allowable portion of STANDARD DEDUCTION: 
    a. Gross income subject to U.S. tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            26,000
    b. Total gross income from all sources (including exempt P.R. income) . . . . . . .              41,000
    c. Divide line 2a by line 2b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           .6341
    d. Multiply Standard Deduction (line 1) by line 2c and enter this amount 
        on Form 1040, line 12 (allowable portion of STANDARD DEDUCTION) . . . . . .                  17,565
Write the following above line 12, Form 1040 “Standard Deduction modified due to exempt income under section 933.” 

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Itemized Deductions
Deductions that do not specifically apply to a particular income item must be allocated between your gross income subject 
to U.S. tax and your total gross income from all other sources. Examples of such deductions that do not apply to a 
particular type of income are  medical expenses, charitable contributions, real estate taxes and mortgage interest on your 
personal residence. To find the part of the deduction that is allowable, you must apportion those items that do not apply to 
any specific type of income based on the ratio that your gross income subject to Federal tax bears to gross income from 
all sources.
EXAMPLE:  You and your spouse, both under 65, are U.S. citizens and bona fide residents of Puerto Rico for the entire 
year. You file a joint return. This year you earned $24,000 from Puerto Rico sources and your spouse earned $96,000 
from the U.S. Government. You have $42,250 of itemized deductions that do not apply to any specific type of income. 
These are medical expenses (doctor’s fees) $11,000, real estate taxes $10,000, home mortgage interest of $16,250, and 
charitable deductions of $5,000 (cash contributions). You apportion deductions for your Federal tax return as follows: 
multiply the deduction to be allocated by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction is your gross income subject to Federal 
tax and the denominator is your total gross income from all sources (including exempt Puerto Rico income). 

                     gross income subject to Federal tax 
            Formula:                                     x      deduction = allowable portion of deduction
                     gross income from all sources 

SCHEDULE A — Itemized Deductions should be modified as shown in the sample below: 
            Medical Expenses (doctor’s fees) 
            $96,000 x $11,000 = $8,800 (Enter on line 1 of Schedule A.) 
            $120,000 

            Real Estate Taxes 
            $96,000 x $10,000 = $8,000 (Enter on line 5b of Schedule A.) 
            $120,000 

            Home Mortgage Interest 
            $96,000 x $16,250 = $13,000 (Enter on line 8 of Schedule A.) 
            $120,000 

            Charitable deduction (cash contributions) 
            $96,000 x $5,000 = $4,000 (Enter on line 11 of Schedule A.) 
            $120,000 

NOTE: Enter on Schedule A only the allowable portion of each deduction.

Qualified Business Income Deduction
Bona fide residents of Puerto Rico cannot take the Qualified Business Income Deduction related to their Puerto Rico 
source self-employment income they are excluding under Sec. 933.
Caution: You cannot take any deductions from Part II of Schedule 1 (Adjustments to Income) directly related to exempt 
Puerto Rico Income. For example, you cannot deduct one-half of self-employment tax (Schedule SE) if you are excluding 
your self-employment income (Schedule C). Adjustments to income which are not directly related to exempt Puerto Rico 
income must be allocated using the formula for allocating the standard deduction shown above.

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Credits
Caution: Exempt Puerto Rico source income must be included in gross income when calculating income limits for certain 
credits. It is important to remember that credits which apply to your exempt Puerto Rico income are not allowed on your 
Federal income tax return.

American Opportunity Tax Credit
Bona fide residents of Puerto Rico will receive the refundable part of this credit from the Puerto Rico Treasury 
Department.

Foreign Tax Credit
If you are claiming a credit for taxes paid or accrued to Puerto Rico and you have income from P.R. sources not taxable 
on the Federal tax return, you must reduce your foreign taxes paid or accrued by the taxes allocable to exempt income. 
To find the amount allocable to the exempt income, multiply the taxes paid or accrued to Puerto Rico by a fraction. The 
numerator of the fraction is the exempt income (under IRC 933) from P.R. sources less deductible expenses allocable to 
that income. The denominator is the total amount of income subject to P.R. tax less deductible expenses allocable to that 
income. 

Formula to calculate the Reduction in Foreign Taxes:

                       Income from P.R. sources not subject to Federal tax  
                       less deductible expenses allocable to that income 
         Formula:                                                           x Tax paid or accrued to Puerto Rico
                       Total income subject to Puerto Rico tax less  
                       deductible expenses allocable to that income 

Example: John and Mary are bona fide residents of Puerto Rico filing jointly. John works for the Federal Government and 
received salary of $42,000 during 2023. Mary works for private industry and received salary of $18,000. Total taxes paid 
to Puerto Rico: $3,010. 
$18,000 x $3,010 = $903 = taxes allocable to excluded income. (Enter on Form 1116, Part III, line 12 “Reduction in foreign taxes”.) 
$60,000

Child Tax Credit
Special rules apply to bona fide residents of Puerto Rico claiming the child tax and additional child tax credits. See the 
instructions for Form 1040 Schedule 8812.

Earned Income Tax Credit
Bona fide residents of Puerto Rico cannot claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Reporting a Change in Bona Fide Residence
Taxpayers who begin or end bona fide residence in a U.S. possession during the tax year (when their worldwide gross 
income is more than $75,000) may need to file IRS Form 8898, Statement for Individuals Who Begin or End Bona Fide 
Residence in a U.S. Possession. Mail Form 8898 separately from your tax return by the due date (including extensions) 
for filing Form 1040. If you are required to file Form 8898 for any tax year and you fail to file it, you may owe a penalty of 
$1,000. 

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