Skip to main content

1 reply

March 22, 2022

To be eligible for the Foreign Tax Credit, you must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien or a U.S. nonresident alien who is a full-year resident of Puerto Rico.

 

You must have paid, accrued, or owe taxes on foreign income that is also subject to U.S. income tax. This foreign tax must be an income tax or a tax in lieu of an income tax that is imposed on you and is a legal and actual foreign tax liability.

Both the foreign tax credit and the foreign tax deduction are entered in the same place. Here's what you do:

  1. Open (continue) your return in TurboTax
  2. Make sure you've already entered all your foreign income. If you still need to enter it, do that now.
  3. Select Search and search for foreign tax credit. Select the Jump to link in the search results
  4. When you reach the screen Do you want the deduction or the credit? Select the option you prefer for your situation
  5. If you select Take a credit
    • Select Continue on the next screen, then select No to fill out Form 1116
    • When you reach the screen Country Summary, select Add a Country
    • Answer the questions about your foreign income, taxes, and expenses on the following screens
    • When finished, you'll be taken back to the Country Summary screen. If you have income from other countries to enter, select Add a Country. Otherwise, select Done
    • Answer the questions on the following screens until you reach your Foreign Tax Credit Summary. If you’re finished with this section, select Done
  6. If you select Itemized Deduction: 
    1. Enter your foreign taxes paid on the next screen. These should show up in the Deductions & Credits section of your tax return, under Other Deductible Expenses

In most cases, taking the credit works out better than the deduction. We'll help you decide which one's best for you when you go through this section.

 

If you choose to take the credit (most people do), we'll attach Form 1116Foreign Tax Credit if your situation requires it.

 

Note: You won't be able to take a credit or deduction for taxes paid (or accrued) on excluded foreign earned income or housing. This is because excluded income and housing isn't taxed in the first place.

 

Related Information:

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"