Need help with taxes!

Why would I need to write a letter to the IRS by 15 October?

I guess because the normal extension is October 15th.  From the form instructions

Total Time Allowed
Generally, we can’t extend the due date of your return for more than 6 months (October 15, 2019, for most calendar year taxpayers). However, there may be an exception if you’re living out of the country. See Pub. 54 for more information.

I guess because the normal extension is October 15th.  From the form instructions

Well I’ve officially been in the UK for a year now and I’m trying to finish my taxes before ASAP. Would I need to still write a letter if I file my taxes before Oct 15?

Well I’ve officially been in the UK for a year now and I’m trying to finish my taxes before ASAP. Would I need to still write a letter if I file my taxes before Oct 15?

No letter needed. My son was in a similar position when he returned end of September 2017. Filed for an extension then filed his taxes before October 15th 2018.

Is there a difference between the Bona fide residence test and the physical presence test?
They seem similar to me

Is there a difference between the Bona fide residence test and the physical presence test?
They seem similar to me

This is a good summary I think. (I bolded the paragraph describing the main difference)

https://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/blog/bona-fide-residence-physical-presence-test/

Bona Fide Residence Test
You meet the bona fide residence test if you are a bona fide resident of a foreign country or countries for an uninterrupted period that includes an entire tax year. You can use the bona fide residence test to qualify for the FEIE and foreign housing deductions only if you are a US citizen or a US resident alien.

To find out if you qualify for bona fide residence, you must first find out if you have established a residence in a foreign country. Your residence sometimes might not be the same as your domicile. Your domicile is your permanent home – a place to which you always return or intend to return. You can look at a bona fide residence test as being based on the intention or purpose of your trip, and the nature and length of your stay outside the United States.

Under the bona fide residence test, a taxpayer can leave the country for brief trips back to the US or elsewhere for vacation. However, you must have a clear intention of returning from such trips to your foreign residence.

Physical Presence Test
If you are physically present in a foreign country or countries 330 full days (a full day is 24 consecutive hours) during 12 consecutive months, you would then meet the physical presence test. The 330 days do not have to be consecutive, and this also applies to US citizens and US permanent residents.

One of the differences between this test and the bona fide residence test is that the physical presence test is based on how long a person stays in a foreign country, and is not dependent on the kind of residence established, the intentions of returning to the U.S, or the nature of the stay abroad.

Additionally, the 330 days for the physical presence test are counted for any reason staying abroad, not necessarily if it is for employment reason. You can even be on vacation. However, you do not meet the test if illness, family problems, a vacation, or your employer’s orders cause you to be present for less than the required amount of time.

Hey! I am also having this issue and I found a free seminar that's taking place Aug 3.
https://seminars.moodystax.com/seminars/london-august-2019/

Hope this helps! And maybe see you there!

L

This is a good summary I think. (I bolded the paragraph describing the main difference)

https://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/blog/bona-fide-residence-physical-presence-test/

Okay so it seems like the physical presence test is the one I need.
Also I was going to use turbo tax to file my taxes, but every time I speak to one of their representatives they don’t seem to know how to file expat tax.
If I were to do it on my own, how would I go about it?

Okay so it seems like the physical presence test is the one I need.
Also I was going to use turbo tax to file my taxes, but every time I speak to one of their representatives they don’t seem to know how to file expat tax.
If I were to do it on my own, how would I go about it?

TurboTax will work. If you need it to produce foreign tax credits it is a bit difficult but for simple stuff it works very well including the health care exemption form. I help my son every year file his US taxes and he exempts his UK salary with the FEIEE, form 2555.

TurboTax will work. If you need it to produce foreign tax credits it is a bit difficult but for simple stuff it works very well including the health care exemption form. I help my son every year file his US taxes and he exempts his UK salary with the FEIEE, form 2555.

With the health care exemption form, do I need that form even if I was on my mother’s health insurance while I lived back in the states?

With the health care exemption form, do I need that form even if I was on my mother’s health insurance while I lived back in the states?

No, because you can check the box that you had a US healthcare plan all year. The first year we moved back was similar. We moved back May 2016 but kept up my retiree healthcare insurance that year knowing that we were going to be in the USA for 7 weeks in November and December. When filling taxes for 2016 we filed as overseas residents but had still been covered the whole year by a US policy.

So I just found out that the my taxes were filed as ‘single’ instead of ‘married file separately’. This is a problem and I don’t know what to do.

The guy who did my taxes is telling me if I did married file separately then my foreign income will become local income and I’ll get taxed twice. And that the physical presence test won’t exclude it.

So I just found out that the my taxes were filed as ‘single’ instead of ‘married file separately’. This is a problem and I don’t know what to do.

The guy who did my taxes is telling me if I did married file separately then my foreign income will become local income and I’ll get taxed twice. And that the physical presence test won’t exclude it.

If you are married I don’t believe you are even allowed to file as single, so that is a problem right there. This is now above my understanding, I don’t understand what is going on.

If you paid a guy do your taxes, why are they not correcting the error? You may need to find a new accountant

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If you are married I don’t believe you are even allowed to file as single, so that is a problem right there. This is now above my understanding, I don’t understand what is going on.

Correct; you CANNOT file as single. You definitely need to either do it yourself (easy for most folks without complicated income sources) or find another accountant, as you got bad info on multiple points.

AFAIK, you can correct the errors by filing an amended return. I would suggest strong words with the accountant, including a demand for a refund of any fees you paid.

So I just found out that the my taxes were filed as ‘single’ instead of ‘married file separately’. This is a problem and I don’t know what to do.

The guy who did my taxes is telling me if I did married file separately then my foreign income will become local income and I’ll get taxed twice. And that the physical presence test won’t exclude it.

Is this guy qualified? If so where and what qualifications?