Marriage and taxes

[Andy and Pui 16]

First off if I am writing this in the wrong spot sorry. Never been married before so I do not know what happens. Now that Pui is here in the US we will be marrying in the end of August. After that I have to change my w-4 at work to show married jointly. After that is changed would my taxes in my pay be more or less? How does this effect if we would get a tax return? When I was filing as single I always got a tax return. Thanks everybody.

[canadian_wife 1,791]

I think your tax return is based on much more than your marital status. Like do you own a home and how much is it worth? Do you have children? Deductions?

we cannot say simply based on simply your marital status how your taxes will change

Good luck

[SLDFK 4]

With all other variables remaining the same, changing my martial status to "married" and claiming 1 additional exemption produced a slight reduction in the taxes deducted per paycheck but got a boat load of money back on the tax returns.

[Darnell 8,478]

with no change in pay -

you will have a bigger paycheck because of your change in w-4

and

come tax filing time, your refund amount should be larger.

[Andy and Pui 16]

with no change in pay -

you will have a bigger paycheck because of your change in w-4

and

come tax filing time, your refund amount should be larger.

Thanks everybody! I have a feeling there will not be much of a change in pay. She made some money in Thailand that I know we have to claim when we do taxes but it was not much money. I think by the time she will receive her EAD it will be at the end of the year and she will then have to find a job so it might not be until next year she has a job.

[paojack 41]

Thanks everybody! I have a feeling there will not be much of a change in pay. She made some money in Thailand that I know we have to claim when we do taxes but it was not much money. I think by the time she will receive her EAD it will be at the end of the year and she will then have to find a job so it might not be until next year she has a job.

do yu have to include your wife's foreign money when u do taxes??? did not know that!!!

[Andy and Pui 16]

do yu have to include your wife's foreign money when u do taxes??? did not know that!!!

I think so but I am not sure so hopefully a knowledgeable member can comment on that.

[Karee 4,189]

I think so but I am not sure so hopefully a knowledgeable member can comment on that.

I doubt it.

On another note, when I came back to the US I owed the IRS like 10k because when i was working in Thailand, my employer here sent me a 1099. I paid the IRS monthly and got it down to owing them about 5k. Once the wife came here in 2009, I went back an amended all of my returns to 2006 showing married jointly instead of single. So instead of me owing the IRS 5k, they owed me 5k. A 10k swing. Pretty nice.

[Dave&Roza 748]

On claiming your wife's income on your taxes it depends. The first year you are marreid and your wife is a non-resident alien for part of the year you have a choice. Declare her a resident of the US for tax purposes and claim her income. Benefit is you get her standard deduction and if she did not make much money in the foreign country it can significantly reduces your taxes. Saved me about $8K. Or you can file married filing jointly or seperately and not claim her as a resident for tax purposes and you do not get her standard deduction and you do not have to claim her income. I would look into which method has the greatest tax benefit for your situation and choose that option. For us it was declaring her as a resident for tax purposes and filing a joint return.

I would NOT apply for an individaul tax identification number (ITIN) as that is for people not eligible for a SSN. It is my feeling (and only my feeling) that the ITIN will cause more problems in the future. Apply for the SSN and if for some reason you cannot get one by the time you need to file taxes, go ahead and file the taxes and complete an ammended return with the SSN.

Good luck on your choice,

Dave