Filing for ITIN

[xuemei 0]

You attached the W7 to the year you are filing for. If you filed for this year already....then you have to wait until next year.

I disagree with this. I filed an amended tax return in August of 2007 for my 2006 return to add my wife to get her an ITN. She sent a letter from her email address to me stating that she would give me permission to sign the w-7 form for her, plus she sent me her passport, which I returned during my visit this year. I also took our chinese marriage certificate.

I think you need to file an ammended return for the year you were married, it shows an additional tax year with her in a bonafide relationship as evidence

So what did you do for 2007? Amend that one as well or file late?

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

Instructions:

2. Your original, completed tax return(s) for which the ITIN is

needed. Attach Form W-7 to the front of your tax return. If you are

applying for more than one ITIN for the same tax return (such as for

a spouse or dependent(s)), attach all Forms W-7 to the same tax

return. After your Form W-7 has been processed, the IRS will assign

an ITIN to the return and process the return

I filed married in 2008 for 2007, I had her ITN number then.

I received an additional $900 for 2006. The problem was getting the check cashed since we didn't have a common account, but I was able to get it done at my local credit union.

2007, not a problem, electronic filing /auto deposit.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Thanks for all the responses.

So I think the best thing for me to do is first- change my status to married.

Second- Amend 2007, since we were married in Nov.

I am still on the fence about applying for the ITIN. It seems like if I just change my status and amend, I dont really need to.

There will only be a few months after she gets an ITIN, that she should get her SSN anyway. So doesnt seem to be worth it. Please let me know if I am wrong though.

Thanks again for all the info!

Everyone here gives more clear answers than any other site.

You will prob get more money back. And you were married in 2007, so you cannot file Single for 2007. You were married you have to choose MFJ or MFS. Don't forget you will have to provide the NVC/consulate with this information. Are you going to tell them you are Single as you 1040 states and interview for a CR1?

this is true if u married in 07 then u are MARRIED (for the year) and it should have shown married at filing

[alohafromkona 0]

To make things a little more confusing, the reason I haven't changed from single to married yet, is when I log into my W-4 tax options through my workplace website, this is what I see-

"Check here and select Single status if married but withholding at single rate.

Note: If married, but legally separated, or spouse is a nonresident alien, select 'Single' status."

I assume my wife is a nonresident alien, so I left it at single.

Also, when I tried to change my benefits, and add her as my beneficiary, I was told by HR not to until she had a SSN number.....Which to me means after she has her visa and is here in the States already.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

To make things a little more confusing, the reason I haven't changed from single to married yet, is when I log into my W-4 tax options through my workplace website, this is what I see-

"Check here and select Single status if married but withholding at single rate.

Note: If married, but legally separated, or spouse is a nonresident alien, select 'Single' status."

I assume my wife is a nonresident alien, so I left it at single.

Also, when I tried to change my benefits, and add her as my beneficiary, I was told by HR not to until she had a SSN number.....Which to me means after she has her visa and is here in the States already.

u should be able to add on benefits....where it ask for ss just say (refused) this is what one of my benefit agencies told me to put and told to adivse when here with ss number, at work no prob i just put married holding at single rate.....this is also what my tax person told me to put.....u are married same month as i was...you need to saying married

[LRA 0]

W4/W2 from you workplace is a whole different ball of wax. You can leave that as is for now if they don't want to change it....plus why would want to pay for health insurance for her if she can't use it or is already covered in her home country. Increasing/decreases from what I understand just changes the amount of tax they take out at each pay period. When you file taxes, how much you've already paid(accumulation of all the pay periods) versus how much you owe will come out. That is why they say when you get a refund you pretty much gave the government a free loan...cause they used your money the whole year. The tax filing should reconcile everything and it usually does. For example if your W4 says 1 exemption and then when you file you file MFJ you will have two exemptions, usually that means a few thousand dollars back in your pocket. You can treat a nonresident alien as a resident for tax purposes....even if she has never ever stepped foot in the US.

Does you wife work in Japan? If she does then you have to claim her income. Up to 80K is exempt.

If you don't want to file MFJ, then chooes MFS. Then when she gets here and gets her SSN you can ammend your 2007 tax return. And for an ammended return the IRS pays interest...of course you get a 1099 that you have claim in the following year...buy hey they pay interest.

But for the embassy to have more proof that you are married file as MFJ or MFS. You don't want to get to the NVC stage and then get an RFE for that....they might ask you to refile your taxes correctly and then provide them with a copy....do you really want to fumble through that at that stage? Or worse at the interview the consulate asks you to do that?

[alohafromkona 0]

To make things a little more confusing, the reason I haven't changed from single to married yet, is when I log into my W-4 tax options through my workplace website, this is what I see-

"Check here and select Single status if married but withholding at single rate.

Note: If married, but legally separated, or spouse is a nonresident alien, select 'Single' status."

I assume my wife is a nonresident alien, so I left it at single.

Also, when I tried to change my benefits, and add her as my beneficiary, I was told by HR not to until she had a SSN number.....Which to me means after she has her visa and is here in the States already.

u should be able to add on benefits....where it ask for ss just say (refused) this is what one of my benefit agencies told me to put and told to adivse when here with ss number, at work no prob i just put married holding at single rate.....this is also what my tax person told me to put.....u are married same month as i was...you need to saying married

Thanks. I will do that now.

As far as Allowances- So far, I have been claiming 0.

Would this change once I change to married? Sorry for all the silly questions.

[alohafromkona 0]

W4/W2 from you workplace is a whole different ball of wax. You can leave that as is for now if they don't want to change it....plus why would want to pay for health insurance for her if she can't use it or is already covered in her home country. Increasing/decreases from what I understand just changes the amount of tax they take out at each pay period. When you file taxes, how much you've already paid(accumulation of all the pay periods) versus how much you owe will come out. That is why they say when you get a refund you pretty much gave the government a free loan...cause they used your money the whole year. The tax filing should reconcile everything and it usually does. For example if your W4 says 1 exemption and then when you file you file MFJ you will have two exemptions, usually that means a few thousand dollars back in your pocket. You can treat a nonresident alien as a resident for tax purposes....even if she has never ever stepped foot in the US.

Does you wife work in Japan? If she does then you have to claim her income. Up to 80K is exempt.

If you don't want to file MFJ, then chooes MFS. Then when she gets here and gets her SSN you can ammend your 2007 tax return. And for an ammended return the IRS pays interest...of course you get a 1099 that you have claim in the following year...buy hey they pay interest.

But for the embassy to have more proof that you are married file as MFJ or MFS. You don't want to get to the NVC stage and then get an RFE for that....they might ask you to refile your taxes correctly and then provide them with a copy....do you really want to fumble through that at that stage? Or worse at the interview the consulate asks you to do that?

Thanks for all the info.

Seems kinda like a catch22.

I can wait for her to get here to get her SSN, then amend my return.

However, like you said, I should amend this right away as MFS, so there are no problems later on with NVC/Embassy?Interview.

Sounds like I should actually amend ASAP, and file MFS (she works, but seems easier to just file separate vs joint).

We are a few months away from USCIS to NVC, and I dont want anu snags. Trying to get everyuthing in order, so it can go as smooth as possible.

Thanks again for your help.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

at work u can claim what u want as withholdings.....many make that variable (im sure not what the irs advises but) do u want a lot taken out to get back later, or do u want to just stay even and with the flow. U can file now one way and chg later. i was sgl 0 with extra for fed and state, now married but at a sgl rate, the health ins would be a waste now and poss big extra expense, but i added as to the benefic to savings, retirement and life ins (thru my work) not the health