TAX season is here: Married filing jointly or separate?

[Terca 6]

Hello Recently Married VJers,

For those of you still in the CR-1 process and your spouses overseas, how did you file your taxes?

1) Married Filing Jointly or?

2)Married Filing Separate

I only qualify under those 2 filing categories, my spouse has never been in the USA and is currently working but his employment is not US related. I am working also but it turns out that there's lots of credits only available to Married people filing Joint returns.

If you filed a Joint return:

how did you do it?

Was your spouse's income taxed greatly?

I am extremely poor right now (paying for college courses) and cant pay $50 for a tax specialist sit down, so I am planning to do my taxes for free on turbotax and trying to learn as much as I can about filing statuses it will be of great help to know how some of you have done yours. THank you !

[VanessaTony 3,567]

This thread might help, there were some interesting responses: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=235365

[nats6624 0]

Hello Recently Married VJers,

For those of you still in the CR-1 process and your spouses overseas, how did you file your taxes?

1) Married Filing Jointly or?

2)Married Filing Separate

I only qualify under those 2 filing categories, my spouse has never been in the USA and is currently working but his employment is not US related. I am working also but it turns out that there's lots of credits only available to Married people filing Joint returns.

If you filed a Joint return:

how did you do it?

Was your spouse's income taxed greatly?

I am extremely poor right now (paying for college courses) and cant pay $50 for a tax specialist sit down, so I am planning to do my taxes for free on turbotax and trying to learn as much as I can about filing statuses it will be of great help to know how some of you have done yours. THank you !

Well i don't know how it would work if your not living together. But i called the IRS the other day to see how the process works and how to get the ITIN number. It is a huge a process she told me that i would have to fill out the 1040EZ form and then where it asks for spouses social security number to put in ITIN TO BE REQUESTED and then fill out the form as i normally would. Then i would have to attach a W-9 (which is on the irs website) then i would have to send the whole package in. Using the ITIN number you can't e-file your taxes it has to paper filled out and sent in to them. She also said that it takes 8 to 10 weeks to receive the ITIN number and then another 3 weeks for processing the return so in total she said 3 and a half months which isn't worth it to me but i it might be for you.

Edited January 28, 2010 by nats6624

[Malrothien 6]

It's the W7.

[Terca 6]

I appreciate your answers thanks so much for that link!

*####### 3 months? i need that money as of yesterday!

[nats6624 0]

It's the W7.

Yeah i realized that after i posted it, i edited it to say W7 but apparently it didn't work lol.

[JustJ 0]

We filed married filing jointly and then had a NIGHTMARE getting the refund because my husband wasn't on any of the bank accounts - nobody would cash the check without him being present. So if you do file jointly, request an electronic refund or you'll have a real problem with the paper check.

[sachinky 465]

How we would go about it? I already have a SSN and a W2 related to my previous year's campus employment. But we are of course not living together right now.

[Peter&Jaime 1]

We filed married filing jointly and then had a NIGHTMARE getting the refund because my husband wasn't on any of the bank accounts - nobody would cash the check without him being present. So if you do file jointly, request an electronic refund or you'll have a real problem with the paper check.

I had the same experience. I filed married jointly and it was a complete nightmare!!!!!!!!! I went to jackson heweitt because I thought it was too complected for me to do and wanted professional help. well that was a huge mistake! I filled out both the federal and state taxes and sent them out. it took over 2 months to get an ITIN number. Then my federal taxes were rejected because my husband didn't sign the tax papers. I had my husband give me power of attorney. He signed the papers at the American embassy and we included a copy of this with my federal taxes. The accountant at jackson heweitt said it would be fine but they were not accepted. I was unable to get my tax refund until my husband had received his visa and entered the country.

Oh my state taxes were returned to me as well because my husband didn't sign them. I couldn't efile because of the ITIN number and couldn't get the money directly deposited into my account because I couldn't get a joint bank account. So basically I was not able to get any of my taxes back until the summer.

But that wasn't the end of the nightmare!! I am doing my taxes now and am having a problem sending them my taxes because my husband's name and numbers don't match. I will have to ammend last year's tax returns to reflect his new name and ssn!

[estrellademiel 7]

so its better with the option Married Filing Separate??? NO HEADACHES???

[Married2009 32]

Question - can I file married and filing separate *cringes at the huge difference in the return* and file an amended return when my husband gets his SSN? We just got approved from the USCIS, so it will be a while before he gets here.

[Canadiandggal 49]

My husband just filed married filing jointly. we sent the 1040 and 2 w7's and were told at the irs office that it should take no longer then two weeks to get itin number and no more then 8 weeks to get return. we will have no problems with cashing refund as we have direct deposit. i will let everyone know what happens.