Tax Return Question

[Techbrarian 0]

Okay, I was a grad student for half of last year and almost all of the other half I was either in Bulgaria with my husband or unemployed and job searching, so my income for 2008 was under 5k. I started my real job this January. I think its very silly to fill out a tax return since they:

A. Didn't tax me (federal work-study and Exempt on my 2 month job)

B. I didn't make enough to have to file

C. My husband didn't work last year, let alone enter the US till this year, so its just my income in question.

Should I file anyway, since we will have to do our 2 year interview eventually and they might want my financial records? Or should I just hold on to those pathetic W2s and use them instead when the time comes? I got a few more days to whip up that 1050 so let me know if you have any idea what I should do.

Thank you!

<3 Samantha

[Slightly Bonkers 0]

I'm by no means even a novice in this but ....

Did you and your husband both receive a married stimulus payment in 2008?

If not you may want to look into that as a reason to file.

[Techbrarian 0]

I didn't think they would give that to a couple who had one member immigrating. They might, but I always assume the worst, lol. Besides, he didn't enter the US till 2009. And no we didn't get one incidentally. I filed late for 2007 taxes with a extension since I was waiting on his damn ITIN.

I'm by no means even a novice in this but ....

Did you and your husband both receive a married stimulus payment in 2008?

If not you may want to look into that as a reason to file.

[Slightly Bonkers 0]

My husband got a single payment at the start of 2008, and when we filed taxes he got the balance of his married and I got the full married.

The immigrant has to have an SSN, not just an ITIN.

As for when he arrived, that may not be an issue, as long as you were married on the 31st December.

I know there are some couples here who filed taxes with spouses abroad so hopefully they'll have some input on this.

[tom&tata 2]

Did you file 2007 using his ITIN? Did you receive the stimulus for yourself?

[Techbrarian 0]

I filed my 2007 taxes near the end of 08 because of the extension but yes, I did file them with his ITIN. And NO I didn't get the stimulus $.

Did you file 2007 using his ITIN? Did you receive the stimulus for yourself?

Edited March 31, 2009 by Sam and Metodi

[tom&tata 2]

I filed my 2007 taxes near the end of 08 because of the extension but yes, I did file them with his ITIN. And NO I didn't get the stimulus $.

Did you file 2007 using his ITIN? Did you receive the stimulus for yourself?

That's what I read - you did not get the stimulus because you filed joint with your spouse who has ITIN. You can file to recover your part.

About your spouse, since he got SSN - I did not see anything prohibiting you & him to file joint in 2008 using his SSN to get stimulus.

How much you would get - see the link.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179165,00.html

[Techbrarian 0]

Oooooh, so even though I made jack, they are going to give us $600 cash? Sweet. Okay, time to file! Won't be getting free money like that next year with a salary. Think it will automatically go to my school loans but that's just as good imo.

Thanks a lot everyone!

<3 Sam

That's what I read - you did not get the stimulus because you filed joint with your spouse who has ITIN. You can file to recover your part.

About your spouse, since he got SSN - I did not see anything prohibiting you & him to file joint in 2008 using his SSN to get stimulus.

How much you would get - see the link.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179165,00.html

Edited March 31, 2009 by Sam and Metodi

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

If you file joint 2008, and he has a SSN, then you may be getting $1200 back. See the Recovery Rebate worksheet to see if you qualify, then take the credit on line 70 of the Form 1040.