Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Election to Credit Foreign Taxes?
Any taxpayer with qualified foreign tax expenses who files a timely claim or return electing the credit.
How does the Election to Credit Foreign Taxes work?
Taxpayers can elect annually to treat foreign taxes as a credit rather than a deduction; credits are generally more valuable as they reduce tax liability directly rather than reducing taxable income.
What law authorizes the Election to Credit Foreign Taxes?
The Election to Credit Foreign Taxes is authorized under IRC §901(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (Title 26, United States Code).
Statutory Text — IRC §901
Source: Internal Revenue Code, Title 26, United States Code
§ 901. Taxes of foreign countries and of possessions of United States(a) Allowance of creditIf the taxpayer chooses to have the benefits of this subpart, the tax imposed by this chapter shall, subject to the limitation of section 904, be credited with the amounts provided in the applicable paragraph of subsection (b) plus, in the case of a corporation, the taxes deemed to have been paid under section 960. Such choice for any taxable year may be made or changed at any time before the expiration of the period prescribed for making a claim for credit or refund of the tax imposed by this chapter for such taxable year. The credit shall not be allowed against any tax treated as a tax not imposed by this chapter under section 26(b).
(b) Amount allowedSubject to the limitation of section 904, the following amounts shall be allowed as the credit under subsection (a):(1) Citizens and domestic corporationsIn the case of a citizen of the United States and of a domestic corporation, the amount of any income, war profits, and excess profits taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any foreign country or to any possession of the United States; and
(2) Resident of the United States or Puerto RicoIn the case of a resident of the United States and in the case of an individual who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico during the entire taxable year, the amount of any such taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any possession of the United States; and
(3) Alien resident of the United States or Puerto RicoIn the case of an alien resident of the United States and in the case of an alien individual who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico during the entire taxable year, the amount of any such taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any foreign country; and
(4) Nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporationsIn the case of any nonresident alien individual not described in section 876 and in the case of any foreign corporation, the amount determined pursuant to section 906; and
(5) Partnerships and estatesIn the case of any person described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4), who is a member of a partnership or a beneficiary of an estate or trust, the amount of his proportionate share of the taxes (described in such paragraph) of the partnership or the estate or trust paid or accrued during the taxable year to a foreign country or to any possession of the United States, as the case may be. Under rules or regulations prescribed by the Secretary, in the case of any foreign trust of which the settlor or another person would be treated as owner of any portion of the trust under subpart E but for section 672(f), the allocable amount of any income, war profits, and excess profits taxes imposed by any foreign country or possession of the United States on the settlor or such other person in respect of trust income.
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