Form 2555 Foreign inc exclusion seems easy BUT

[Pacun]

I have a client who lived and worked the whole year in another country. TP is a US citizen and made $70K. Form 2555 asks for some information and on line 19 it asks for the income which is $70K. I don't find a way to have the income transferred from W-2 or other part of the form automatically. I have to override it and I have to override it in about 4 places to give me the exclusion. What am I missing? 

[PatHack]

add FECWKST form to ATX

If you use f2555, you have to allocate any days TP was in the US working (meeting clients, adding training, conferences, etc..) on F2555, tab Earned Inc Allocation

If you use F2555ez, you have to calc your own alloc and insert the # on page 2 of F2555 line 17

[PatHack]

make sure TP qualifies for FEIE.  TP must have a residence in the FC either a) on the day before the year began (12/31/2017) and continued the residence through at least 1/1/2019 and didn't make a stmt to the FC that they were not resident in FC, or b) meet the PPTest (330 days during any 365 period - just don't count any part day in the US as a part day in the FC.  All part days in the US are consider a US day, never a FC day.

Don't forget FBARs or Sch B asking if they have a non-US account.

[TaxCPANY]

You need the FEC WKST to input wage (or pension) from a foreign company with no U.S.-style EIN.  On W-2 there's a dropdown up top to channel wages to Form 2555 when it's a U.S.-based employer.  There can be "transit days" encompassing a few hours that don't ruin PPT.

[JoJo]

Hi, I could not find the W-2 input screens of the 2555 drop down menu.  Please help

[Catherine]

I no longer use ATX, so I can't help with input screens.  However - only US employers get put in as W2 wages.  There should be a foreign employer section as part of the 2555.  Either way, you then exclude that income later in the 2555. Hope this helps.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

1 hour ago, JoJo said:

Hi, I could not find the W-2 input screens of the 2555 drop down menu.  Please help

As mentioned by TaxCPANY, you enter this data (assuming foreign income not a US W-2) on FECWKST, a downloaded form.  Then check the box to carry to 2555.  After that data is entered, look at the DATA and pages and worksheets of 2555. One of the worksheets is W2 Data which carries over the gross income from FECWKST.  Any taxes withheld have to be entered in 1116 as Gen. Limitation.  Be sure to indicate on the Earned Inc Allocation of the 2555 the correct code.