taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097501If you have income from American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the USVI, you may have to file a tax return with the tax department of that possession. Or, you may have to file two annual tax returns, one with the possession's tax department and the other with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. This chapter covers the general rules for filing returns in the five possessions.
You must first determine if you are a bona fide resident of the relevant possession. See chapter 1 for a discussion of the requirements you must meet.
You should ask for forms and advice about the filing of possession tax returns from that possession's tax department, not the Internal Revenue Service. Contact information is listed in this chapter under the heading for each possession.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097502American Samoa has its own separate and independent tax system. Although its tax laws are modeled on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, there are certain differences.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097503 | Requests for advice about matters connected with Samoan taxation should be sent to:
Tax Division
Government of American Samoa
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
|
 | The phone number is 684-633-4181. The fax number is 684-633-1513. |
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097507The addresses and phone numbers listed above are subject to change.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097508Your residency status and your source of income with regard to American Samoa determine whether you file your return and pay your tax to American Samoa, to the United States, or to both.
In addition to the information below that is categorized by residency status, the Special Rules for American Samoa section (later) contains important information for determining the correct forms to file.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097509Bona fide residents of American Samoa are generally exempt from U.S. tax on their American Samoa source income.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097510If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien and a bona fide resident of American Samoa during the entire tax year, you generally must file the following returns.
- An American Samoa tax return reporting your gross income from worldwide sources. If you report non-American Samoa source income on your American Samoa tax return, you can claim a credit against your American Samoa tax liability for income taxes paid on that income to the United States, a foreign country, or another possession.
- A U.S. tax return reporting income from worldwide sources, but excluding income from sources within American Samoa. However, amounts received for services performed as an employee of the United States or any of its agencies cannot be excluded (see U.S. Government employees under Special Rules for American Samoa, later). To exclude American Samoa source income, attach a completed Form 4563 to your U.S. tax return (see Form 4563 on this page for more information). If you are excluding American Samoa source income on your U.S. tax return, you will not be allowed any deductions from gross income or credits against tax that are directly or indirectly allocable to the exempt income. For more information, see Special Rules for Completing Your U.S. Tax Return in chapter 4.
If you are a bona fide resident of American Samoa during the entire tax year, but a nonresident alien of the United States, you generally must file the following returns.
- An American Samoa tax return reporting worldwide income.
- A U.S. tax return (Form 1040) reporting income from worldwide sources, but excluding American Samoa source income other than amounts for services performed as an employee of the United States or any of its agencies. For more information, see U.S. Government employees under Special Rules for American Samoa, later. To exclude income from sources within American Samoa, attach a completed Form 4563 to your U.S. tax return (see Form 4563, below, for more information). For all other tax purposes, however, you will be treated as a nonresident alien individual. For example, you are not allowed the standard deduction, you cannot file a joint return, and you are not allowed a deduction for a dependent unless that person is a citizen or national of the United States. There are also limitations on what deductions and credits are allowed. See Publication 519 for more information.
If you must file a U.S. income tax return and you qualify to exclude any of your income from American Samoa, claim the exclusion by completing Form 4563 and attaching it to your Form 1040. Form 4563 cannot be filed by itself. There is an example of a filled-in Form 4563 in chapter 5.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097513If you are a bona fide resident of American Samoa during the entire tax year, send your U.S. tax return and all attachments to:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301-0215
Send your American Samoa tax return and all attachments to the address given under Where To Get Forms and Information, earlier.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097514An individual who is not a bona fide resident of American Samoa for the tax year generally files both U.S. and American Samoa tax returns, and claims a foreign tax credit on the U.S. return for taxes paid to American Samoa.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097515If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien but not a bona fide resident of American Samoa during the entire tax year, you generally must file the following returns.
- An American Samoa tax return reporting only your income from sources within American Samoa. Wages for services performed in American Samoa, whether for a private employer, the U.S. Government, or otherwise, is income from sources within American Samoa.
- A U.S. tax return reporting your income from worldwide sources. You can take a credit against your U.S. tax liability if you paid income taxes to American Samoa (or other possession or foreign country) and reported income from those sources on your U.S. tax return.
If you are a nonresident alien of the United States who does not qualify as a bona fide resident of American Samoa for the entire tax year, you generally must file the following returns.
- An American Samoa tax return reporting only your income from sources within American Samoa. In this situation, wages for services performed in American Samoa, whether for a private employer, the U.S. Government, or otherwise, is income from sources within American Samoa.
- A U.S. tax return (Form 1040NR) reporting U.S. source income according to the rules for a nonresident alien. See the instructions for Form 1040NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.
If you are not a bona fide resident of American Samoa during the entire tax year, send your U.S. tax return and all attachments to:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301-0215
Send your American Samoa tax return and all attachments to the address given under Where To Get Forms and Information, earlier.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097518Some special rules apply to certain types of income and employment connected with American Samoa.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097519Bona fide residents of American Samoa include military personnel whose official home of record is American Samoa.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097520If you are employed in American Samoa by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies, you are subject to tax by American Samoa on your pay from the government. Whether you are subject to tax by American Samoa on your non-American Samoa source income depends on your status in American Samoa as a bona fide resident.
Wages and salaries paid to employees of the U.S. Government and its agencies are also subject to U.S. federal income tax. These payments do not qualify for the exclusion of income from sources within American Samoa, discussed earlier.
For tax years ending after April 9, 2008, wages and salaries paid to bona fide residents by the Government of American Samoa can be excluded on the U.S. tax return.
If you report government wages on both your U.S. and American Samoa tax returns, you can take a credit on your U.S. tax return for income taxes paid or accrued to American Samoa. Figure the credit on Form 1116, and attach that form to your U.S. tax return, Form 1040. Show your wages paid for services performed in American Samoa on Form 1116, line 1a, enter "American Samoa" on line g, and check box b above Part I.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097521Generally, expenses of a move to American Samoa are directly attributable to American Samoa wages, salaries, and other earned income. Likewise, the expenses of a move back to the United States are generally attributable to U.S. earned income.
If your move was to American Samoa, report your deduction for moving expenses as follows.
- If you are a bona fide resident in the tax year of your move, enter your deductible expenses on your American Samoa tax return.
- If you are not a bona fide resident, enter your deductible expenses on both your American Samoa and U.S. tax returns. Also, for purposes of a tax credit against your U.S. tax liability, reduce your American Samoa "general category income" on Form 1116, line 1a, by entering the deductible moving expenses on line 2.
If your move was to the United States, complete Form 3903, Moving Expenses, and enter the deductible amount on Form 1040, line 26.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097522If you are not required to file a U.S. tax return but have income that is effectively connected with a trade or business in American Samoa, you must file Form 1040-SS with the United States. On this form you will report your self-employment income to the United States and, if necessary, pay self-employment tax on that income.
taxmap/pubs/p570-008.htm#en_us_publink100097523A mutual agreement procedure exists to settle cases of double taxation between the United States and American Samoa. See Double Taxation in chapter 4.
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