As a U.S. citizen, if my total income earned in a foreign country is less than $10,000, do I still need to file for a foreign earned income exclusion? I meet the bona fide resident test and appear to otherwise qualify for the exclusion. However, as I understand, if foreign earned income is less than $10,000, then a form 1040 does not need to be filed. And as form 1040 goes hand-in-hand with form 2555 for foreign earned income exclusion, it seems that I would not need to file any tax forms. Did I understand this right? I am a university student with a permanent residence in the foreign country and completing the entirety of my degree there, if this helps.
1 Answer
If you're below filing threshold - you're probably not going to pay any tax regardless, so no point in claiming exemption anyway.