2012 Tax question

[Jeremy C 0]

I've been searching this site, the IRS site, and other sites on the internet and can't seem to find an answer to my question. Maybe someone can help here?

I got married in 2011, and am going to file my taxes as Married Filing Separately. I'm stuck on the spot where I have to enter my wife's social security number. She is still in Korea and has only been in the US for a total of 2 months, has never worked in the US, and is waiting for her CR1 visa to come live here.

I've been reading various things about ITIN, form W7, non resident alien, etc. My question is: she has no ITIN (or SSN), and I'm unsure how to submit my taxes without this. I've read I can submit a W7 with my taxes, but the more I look into that, it seems like she has to sign and submit the form. I also need to send a copy of these taxes with my I-864 to her when she goes in for her interview in March.

Has anyone else gone through this same sort of process? Does my wife have to fill out the W7 and send it in? Can I fill it out for her and submit it with my taxes to the IRS?

Thanks for any help!

[The Mean Lady 604]

must be paper filed taxes.

Write NRA for the SSN.

You don't need the ITIN for separately.

You CAN elect to file joint and fill out the ITIN if you want, or even do an amended return later.

[christeen 966]

I filed married separate for years with my husband, you just can't electronically file, but as KDH advised, put NRA in the social box and you are good to go... Amend the return later if it gains you something...

[Jeremy C 0]

Thanks for the quick answers--this helps me a lot

[Jeremy C 0]

One other thing, do I need to explain the NRA? I mean, add an attachment explaining my situation? Or just writing NRA on both the federal and state will be fine?

[Roosha 51]

Just write NRA. Stands for non-resident alien, you can write it out like that too if you want but they know what NRA means.

[Jeremy C 0]

Cool, thanks!