You may not be aware of how to file your taxes if you are an American citizen working and living abroad. You may not be aware that even if you are outside of the country, the IRS and the US government actually require that you file your taxes. Although it is a different method, its certainly a better option than not filing at all because it is quite easy and you can steer clear of severe IRS problems.
Numerous people assume that they have a free pass for not filing their taxes if they work overseas. They also believe that their taxes dont need to be paid, either. This isnt the case, however. The IRS expects everybody to file their tax returns to steer clear of considerable IRS issues, regardless if you live in a foreign country or in the US.
IRS Form 2555-EZ and the Foreign Earned Income form, or Form 2555, are two types of tax forms that citizens residing and working abroad are made to accomplish. To be able to fully qualify and be able to utilize either of these 2 forms, the taxpayer should be a citizen of the United States of America, or even a resident of the United States, but living in a foreign country.
Youll need to file your tax return on April 15 of each year like everyone else. But a 2-month extension is automatically given for American citizens residing overseas. This would offer you more time to pay outstanding tax debts and file the right forms correctly. To utilize this 2-month extension, you will need to attach a statement to confirm that you qualify for it.
Among the problems that some people who have recently moved abroad is that they did not bring all of their tax information with them, or they moved before they could get all of their W-2 forms from their employers and they were actually sent to the old address in the United States. It is your responsibility to get those documents. Regardless if that takes asking a good friend or family member to find your mail, or asking your company to send a new copy to your new address, it needs to be done. Another option is to let your company send you electronic copies through email, while the official ones are being sent through regular physical mail systems. This will allow you to complete your tax returns in a timely manner and prevent an IRS problem.
You have a few choices in how to file your tax return if your spouse isnt an American citizen. Filing as Married Filing Separately is one option. This means that you, as a taxpayer, would just report your own income that you have earned for that year. But if you also have children and you are the provider of more than half of each childs support, then you can qualify under the status of Head of Household.

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