Filing for Tax Return

[shy1akaanh 0]

This year I plan to file my own tax return. However, I'm not sure about the filing status if you married but you spouse is in another country. If anyone have any experience with this, can you please help me? Do I file as single or married? Thanks

[BinhJerome 14]

I am not sure if you can file joint since she does not live with you, but if you are supporting her I think there is a loop hole, I would say go to H&R block to make sure, but I am sure you can file married filing separate. Jerome

[Dai. 7]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

Edited October 22, 2009 by Dai_Tx

[lindal24 1]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

Dai_TX is correct. If you are married before the end of the year, you MUST file married. Whether it be married filing joint or married filing seperate. Unless you qualify for head of household, you should take advantage of whichever gives you the best return. It doesn't matter where they live--if you're married, you're married. You will have to file W7 to get ITIN (not a ssn!) to file...

Just beware...read the instructions carefully!! (Use her passport as support b/c it's the only stand alone document...)

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

Dai_TX is correct. If you are married before the end of the year, you MUST file married. Whether it be married filing joint or married filing seperate. Unless you qualify for head of household, you should take advantage of whichever gives you the best return. It doesn't matter where they live--if you're married, you're married. You will have to file W7 to get ITIN (not a ssn!) to file...

Just beware...read the instructions carefully!! (Use her passport as support b/c it's the only stand alone document...)

Yeap, You have to file as MARRIED, since your income consider of WORLD WIDE income. You can file W7 and ITIN.

OR, what I did last year was. I extended my tax for another 3 months. Till July, since I knew my wife will be in the US on June-09. And then, I filed my tax after she received her SSN. It works for me.

good luck.

[Peter&TT 0]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

I just got married last Sept too and my wife is still in Vietnam. I looked at w7 and don't understand the requirement: applicant must submit a 1040 return along with w7 to obtain a ITIN? My wife lives in VN and only I have 1040. Does it mean my own 1040 or the applicant's 1040 which doesn't make sense?

Thanks.

Peter

[lindal24 1]

you send in the 1040 you're filing with the w7.

just a tip: when filing for w7, use her passport as it's the only standalone document to prove identity and foreign status...

[Dai. 7]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

I just got married last Sept too and my wife is still in Vietnam. I looked at w7 and don't understand the requirement: applicant must submit a 1040 return along with w7 to obtain a ITIN? My wife lives in VN and only I have 1040. Does it mean my own 1040 or the applicant's 1040 which doesn't make sense?

Thanks.

Peter

I forget if the spouse has to sign it but fill out the w7 and submit it with your 1040, she is not paying taxes, you are, so you can claim your spouse and get a tax deduction.

[Huong and Phung 0]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

I just got married last Sept too and my wife is still in Vietnam. I looked at w7 and don't understand the requirement: applicant must submit a 1040 return along with w7 to obtain a ITIN? My wife lives in VN and only I have 1040. Does it mean my own 1040 or the applicant's 1040 which doesn't make sense?

Thanks.

Peter

I forget if the spouse has to sign it but fill out the w7 and submit it with your 1040, she is not paying taxes, you are, so you can claim your spouse and get a tax deduction.

Yes she have to sign it. Like mentioned above, you need her passport and you need to go turn it in by hand. They need to see her passp. Then make sure some stuff and you be done. Make sure u do it early cuz u know how it is at the irs branch office. Very crowded!

[lindal24 1]

if you're not sure, you can also do an amended tax return (1040x) afterwards...

[AbbynSheryl 0]

i took my joint tax return and irs did not accept that bcz she was in philippines so she could not sign on the dotted line, so i filed single and then amend it alter when she got her ssn, they did not accept the w7 without her signature either, good luck abby n sheryl

Edited October 23, 2009 by AbbynSheryl

[Dai. 7]

What I did last year when I file jointly with my wife, I filled out a w7 form for her ITIN (Individual Tax payers Identification Number) Then you attach the form to the 1040 form and they will give your wife a number and automatically send it to the IRS.

I just got married last Sept too and my wife is still in Vietnam. I looked at w7 and don't understand the requirement: applicant must submit a 1040 return along with w7 to obtain a ITIN? My wife lives in VN and only I have 1040. Does it mean my own 1040 or the applicant's 1040 which doesn't make sense?

Thanks.

Peter

I forget if the spouse has to sign it but fill out the w7 and submit it with your 1040, she is not paying taxes, you are, so you can claim your spouse and get a tax deduction.

Yes she have to sign it. Like mentioned above, you need her passport and you need to go turn it in by hand. They need to see her passp. Then make sure some stuff and you be done. Make sure u do it early cuz u know how it is at the irs branch office. Very crowded!

Thats right now I remember your spouse does have to sign it. We did not hand in ours at the IRS branch office though. You can send a notarized copy of her passport to the IRS and they will except it.

Here is the link to the actual w7 form and instructions behind it:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf

I went to the US consulate in Saigon and they notarized my wife's passport there and from there I send the IRS my w7 form and 1040 as the instructions said on the link and they accepted it.

[rin and john 71]

A very informative tax thread was started earlier this year. Lot's of good info in it:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=170514

[BinhJerome 14]

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