US expat tax records
Prove you qualify for the FEIE before the IRS asks.
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion turns on a day count most Americans abroad track from memory. DaysAbroad records the days as they happen, shows your best 12-month window, and gives your CPA a file instead of a guess.
Free to try · No signup · iOS 16+ · Travel data stays on-device
Last reviewed · Informational only, not tax or legal advice
Why this converts
People do not need another travel diary. They need the count before it hurts.
- The 12-month window can start on any date, not January 1.
- A day only counts if you were abroad from midnight to midnight.
- Arrival and departure days in the US usually do not count.
- Four one-week US trips can cost you more than 30 days.
- Reconstructing three years of travel from photos is the part people regret.
Why it matters
The exclusion is worth five figures. The proof is a day count.
Under the Physical Presence Test, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion depends on being physically present in a foreign country for at least 330 full days in a 12-month period. Miss it by one day and the whole exclusion is gone for that year.
- The window is any 12 consecutive months, so the window you choose changes the answer.
- Partial days in the US break the full-day rule.
- Long travel over international waters can cost you foreign days.
- The FEIE covers foreign earned income only, not investment income or capital gains.
How DaysAbroad helps
Record the days now. Choose the window later.
DaysAbroad logs your country day by day from your phone, keeps multi-year history, and lets you correct any day by hand. When it is time to file, you pick the 12-month window with the evidence already behind it.
For your CPA
One file, not a shoebox of screenshots.
The accountant report puts the day counts, the method behind them, and the gaps in your records into a single document. It states what it is not: a filing position. Your CPA gets facts to check, not a conclusion to argue with.
- Day counts per country and year.
- Your 330-day window, with the days that could not be proven listed separately.
- A supporting-document checklist: permit, lease, utilities, bank, payroll.
- Questions to ask your advisor, including whether the Foreign Tax Credit fits better.
The other test
Bona Fide Residence is an evidence test, not a count.
If you do not clear 330 days, the Bona Fide Residence Test is the other route. It asks whether you were a bona fide resident of a foreign country for an uninterrupted period that includes a full tax year, and it rests on facts: your residence permit, lease, local bank account, healthcare, and tax registration. A complete travel record supports that story too.
Proof and export
When someone asks where you were, have the file ready.
DaysAbroad keeps a country-by-country timeline you can export for accountants, visa paperwork, employer reporting, advisor review, or your own archive.
- Full foreign days per 12-month window
- Best-window view across multiple years
- Accountant report: counts, method, gaps, and a document checklist
- Home Screen widget for the 330-day count
- US day totals by year
- Manual corrections for missed days
- CSV and JSON export for your CPA
- Travel history stays on-device
Read next
Keep going with the matching guide or tool.
FAQ
Common questions
- What is the 330-day rule exactly?
- To qualify under the Physical Presence Test, you must be physically present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 full days during any period of 12 consecutive months. The period can begin on any day of the year.
- How many days can I spend in the US and still qualify?
- In a 365-day window, 330 foreign days leaves 35 days that are not full foreign days. That budget covers US days and any travel day you did not spend fully abroad, so the practical allowance is smaller than 35.
- Is this the same as the Substantial Presence Test?
- No, and they point in opposite directions. The Substantial Presence Test decides whether a foreign national becomes a US tax resident. The FEIE Physical Presence Test decides whether a US citizen or resident abroad can exclude foreign earned income.
- What about the Bona Fide Residence Test?
- It is the second route to the FEIE. It covers an uninterrupted period that includes a full tax year and is decided on facts and evidence rather than a day count. DaysAbroad records the travel side of that evidence.
- What does the accountant report contain?
- Day counts per country and year, your 330-day window, the trip timeline, how each number was produced, the days that could not be proven, a supporting-document checklist, and questions to ask your advisor. It is a record, and it says so on every page.
- Does DaysAbroad file my taxes or give tax advice?
- No. DaysAbroad keeps the day-count record and exports it. Your filing position, the choice of test, and the treatment of your income are for a CPA to decide.
Get DaysAbroad
Start this year's record before it becomes reconstruction work.
Free for two countries. Pro unlocks automatic tracking, Schengen alerts, multi-year history, purpose labels, and CSV/JSON export.
DaysAbroad helps you keep day-count records. It is not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Always confirm your specific situation with an immigration lawyer, tax advisor, accountant, or the relevant authority.