This page is only for Free File Fillable Forms Taxpayers Tips to avoid problems Account creation When creating an account, do not enter any foreign characters (e.g. ñ, ü, ó,). Do not hyphenate or leave spaces in first or last names. Failure to follow these rules may cause creation issues or account access issues. Names, addresses, etc. When entering information on a form, do not enter any foreign characters (e.g. ñ, ü, ó,), hyphenate or leave spaces in first names, last names or address names. Failure to follow these rules may result in transmission failure or return rejection. Foreign Tax Credit: How to figure the credit Account Creation - You cannot use a foreign phone number. Without a U.S. phone number, you may not be able to create, access or recover your account. The Electronic Withdrawal of Tax Due (STEP 2, Section 5 and Form 4868, Section 3 Payment Options) will only accept a ten-digit number. If you do not have access to a U.S. phone number you should not use the application. Foreign banks You cannot direct deposit a refund into a foreign bank account. Direct deposit is available for bank accounts located only in the United States only. IRS Direct Pay requires a U.S. bank routing number (ABA). This nine-digit number is generally printed on checks or is available from your bank. If you have an account with an international bank that has a U.S. affiliate, the bank may be able to provide the routing number. Forms may preclude e-filing Familiarize yourself with the forms you need before starting your return. View the Forms and Limitations page for information about forms that may prevent you from filing electronically. Here are two commonly filed forms that contain limitations. Most limitations involve the inability to attach required statements to the form. Form 1116 – Foreign Tax Credit Form 2555 – Foreign Earned Income Unsupported forms Form 2350, Application for Extension of Time to File U.S. Income Tax Return: The program does not support this form. Review the Forms and Limitations page for the complete list of supported forms Foreign Employee Compensation (FEC) form- The Free File Fillable Forms program does not support the (FEC) form. The only income document forms that you can transcribe and enter into the program are Form W-2, Form W2-G and Form 1099-R. See the Forms and Limitations page for a supported forms and limitations to the forms you may want to file. Foreign addresses Many forms require you to complete a domestic address. (Form 8863, Form 2441 and Schedule C.) Entering a foreign address may not be an option and cause the return to reject. Unfortunately, we do not have a universal work-around solution for this issue. Form 1040 Enter your street address on form 1040 On the next line, do not enter anything for the City, State or Zip Code areas. Complete your foreign address using the Form 1040. Use pick-list to select the country Follow the country’s practice for entering the foreign province/county. The foreign province/county can contain no more than 17 characters Enter your Foreign Postal Code (FPC) in the designated area. If your Foreign Postal Code causes a transmission error, enter 5 zeros into that area. W-2, W2-G and 1099-R: Enter the street address on the “Street” line Enter the two-letter foreign country code in the Foreign Country box The city, province or county and foreign postal code are entered on the “City” line This information is separated by a comma and space You have space for 35 characters, including commas and spaces on this line on the “city” line Enter five zeros in the U.S. zip code area Enter the Foreign Country Code, not the foreign country name Military Addresses (APO, DPO and FPO) Form 1040 and Form 4868 (Extension) Do not fill in any information in the bottom address area for "Foreign Country Name," “Foreign Province/Country" and “Foreign Postal Code" In the “City” area, input APO, DPO or FPO, whichever is appropriate The state abbreviation must be AA, AE or AP, whichever is appropriate. If the state abbreviation is: AA – The first three digits of the zip code must begin with 340 AE – The first three digits of the zip code must be in the range 090 – 098 AP – The first three digits of the zip code must be in the range 962 – 966
