IRS TAXES UGHHHH

[james&adry 3]

Yep, its that wonderful time and being in the crosshairs of a very busy and hectic schedule here I am only briefly understanding how to file for my wife and I for taxes for last year. My wife and I married in April 30th 2009 and she finally got inside the country on January 8th 2010. She is supposed to recieve her Social Security card before the end of this month, i want to clarify something with all of you professionals out there. Can i include her social security number for my taxes for last year or do I have to file to get a tax payer identification number for her even though shes getting a Social. My logic intuitively tells me that I should be fine with her social security and just file as normal - married filing jointly and online. But i just do not want to get dinged and hit with an error that says I left out the part that her social security only applies for 2010 and i need a tax ident # for last year.. Please let me know.

James

[Darnell 8,478]

Wait till she has her SSN.

As to 'normal' for you - I suggest this year will NOT be 'normal' - as the IRS has no record of her SSN, so you might wind up paper filing this year. MAYBE.

There is no 'validity' on 'duration' of a SSN.

Here's a scenario for ya -

Some USCs filed 'married filing jointly' with their lass out of the country in prior years, got her an ITN via the W-7. Not so much money returned from the 'stimulus package' because of the rules. BUT - when the foreign spouse arrived, got a SSN, they refiled prior years with the SSN on a 1040X , amended return, and got big chunks o cash back from the stimulus package.

For yer wife, she did not need a tax id for last year - what only matters is that she have one on the day that YOU file the tax returns.

You'll be taking a hit this year on online filing, though, like I said - the IRS can't verify who she is yet (they will find her for the next year though, because of the paper return for this year ).

GOOD LUCK !

[MsSheka 0]

Yep, its that wonderful time and being in the crosshairs of a very busy and hectic schedule here I am only briefly understanding how to file for my wife and I for taxes for last year. My wife and I married in April 30th 2009 and she finally got inside the country on January 8th 2010. She is supposed to recieve her Social Security card before the end of this month, i want to clarify something with all of you professionals out there. Can i include her social security number for my taxes for last year or do I have to file to get a tax payer identification number for her even though shes getting a Social. My logic intuitively tells me that I should be fine with her social security and just file as normal - married filing jointly and online. But i just do not want to get dinged and hit with an error that says I left out the part that her social security only applies for 2010 and i need a tax ident # for last year.. Please let me know.

James

you can file head of household since your wife did not live in the country for 6 or more months in 2009 you do not need to include her on your return(that's the year you are filing for not 2010) next year you would file married filing joint or married filing separate

[james&adry 3]

you can file head of household since your wife did not live in the country for 6 or more months in 2009 you do not need to include her on your return(that's the year you are filing for not 2010) next year you would file married filing joint or married filing separate

So I will still get a nice return right by filing with her Social Security Card when it arrives and going to a professional tax adviser?

James

[And_Sam 44]

So I will still get a nice return right by filing with her Social Security Card when it arrives and going to a professional tax adviser?

James

You know that sounds like a question that a professional CPA could tell you. I'd give one a call and ask them.

I am leaning more towards the advice MsSheka is saying. Technically your wife wasn't in the usa last year, and you haven't applied for a tax id for her....

[Malrothien 6]

You know that sounds like a question that a professional CPA could tell you. I'd give one a call and ask them.

I am leaning more towards the advice MsSheka is saying. Technically your wife wasn't in the usa last year, and you haven't applied for a tax id for her....

You can paper file the 1040 as married along with the ITIN application even if she wasn't in the US.

[rin and john 71]

File with the SSN. You will need to decide if you want to declare your wife as a 'resident' or 'non-resident' for tax purposes. This will largely depend on her foreign income. If she declares herself as a 'resident' for tax purposes, then her foreign income is subject to US tax, but unless she made substantial income (over about $90,000) it will be excluded from tax (see instructions for tax form 2555). Go to www.irs.gov and read tax publication 519.

Also, lots of good information in this thread from last year:

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

[Amin&Ani 0]

I just e-filed and it was rejected. the reason was that the SSn did not match the name.

my question is, I did not include my wife's foreign income since it's small. Do i have to include that info or not?

thanks

File with the SSN. You will need to decide if you want to declare your wife as a 'resident' or 'non-resident' for tax purposes. This will largely depend on her foreign income. If she declares herself as a 'resident' for tax purposes, then her foreign income is subject to US tax, but unless she made substantial income (over about $90,000) it will be excluded from tax (see instructions for tax form 2555). Go to www.irs.gov and read tax publication 519.

Also, lots of good information in this thread from last year:

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

[lucyrich 20]

I just e-filed and it was rejected. the reason was that the SSn did not match the name.

my question is, I did not include my wife's foreign income since it's small. Do i have to include that info or not?

thanks

She wasn't a resident during 2009, was she? If that's the case, and you want to file a joint return, you'll need to make the choice to have a nonresident spouse treated as a resident for the tax year 2009. That lets you file married filing jointly (normally, nonresident aliens are not allowed to file a joint return). To make the choice, you've got to write a letter and include the letter with your return, which means you can't e-file. It's all detailed in Pub 519.

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/ch01....ublink100038991

If you do that, and if she's got a SSN on or before the day you file, just use that SSN even if she didn't have the SSN during 2009.

And yes, you have to include your wife's foreign income if you want to treat her as a resident and file a joint return. Up to $87,600 of her foreign earned income is excluded from taxation, so you won't pay taxes on that first $87,600, but you still have to declare it.

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/ch03....ublink100039045

[david'sgirl 134]

You know that sounds like a question that a professional CPA could tell you. I'd give one a call and ask them.

I am leaning more towards the advice MsSheka is saying. Technically your wife wasn't in the usa last year, and you haven't applied for a tax id for her....

I've been wondering the same stuff. I mean we are married so I could file married separate because he did not live or work here or I can file head of household again. ugh. H & R block might be the answer.

[Malrothien 6]

You don't need to call anyone. It boils down to which works out best for you, HOH, M filing J, M filing sep. Work it out using Turbo Tax and take the route that works out financially the best for you.