For purposes of the FEIE, whether you are being paid by a US company or a foreign company is irrelevant. As long as you qualify for the FEIE under the physical

For purposes of the FEIE, whether you are being paid by a US company or a foreign company is irrelevant. As long as you qualify for the FEIE under the physical presence test (more common) or the bona-fide residence test (less common), you can claim the FEIE, even if you are working for a US company and the money is being deposited into your US bank account. Source: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion-what-is-foreign-earned-income https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/fore... If you receive a W-2 you'll continue to pay your half of the Medicare and Social Security taxes. Federal gives you an exclusion of ~$100k, you may or may not owe state tax depending on the non-residency rules for that state, or if your state does not have income tax.