Filing married but seperately- Federal Income Tax

[LotofPatience 65]

Here is the link from IRS:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=105098,00.html

Please don't confuse people with wrong information about the filing status.

In IRS audit, if they found you filed single and married legally during that year, it can fetch fine and jail. Please don't forget it!

Loto

[LotofPatience 65]

Anyone can dig info on this. The chance that IRS know you were married on a certain year is very remote. However, any misrepresentation in taxes can be under the radar, if audited.

Here is one link:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-Your-IRS-Filing-Status&id=3258952

Loto

[ringosl10 0]

Thanks lotofpatience!! I'm continuing my research...apologies anyone who may have gotten confused while reading my posts. I never personally advocated anyone to file federal income tax single if there married. I actually know for a fact if you were married during the tax year you cannot file taxes single.

Also, Does anyone knows about filing jointly the federal income tax and declaring world income especially if your spouse worked in his country (in my case, Sri Lanka)?

Thanks for everyone's comments

[OBX 51]

Thanks lotofpatience!! I'm continuing my research...apologies anyone who may have gotten confused while reading my posts. I never personally advocated anyone to file federal income tax single if there married. I actually know for a fact if you were married during the tax year you cannot file taxes single.

Also, Does anyone knows about filing jointly the federal income tax and declaring world income especially if your spouse worked in his country (in my case, Sri Lanka)?

Thanks for everyone's comments

I found this info from IRS site useful. Tax Info

Edited August 16, 2010 by OBX

[ringosl10 0]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH OBX!! this is very helpful. thanks again for attaching the 2008 version of pub 519.

just in case if anyone else was looking for 2009 version of pub 519, published by IRS, i looked it up after OBX's suggestion and included the link here. PDF by OBX as well the link are very helpful(http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/ar01.html)...they answer almost all your tax questions.

[LotofPatience 65]

Thanks lotofpatience!! I'm continuing my research...apologies anyone who may have gotten confused while reading my posts. I never personally advocated anyone to file federal income tax single if there married. I actually know for a fact if you were married during the tax year you cannot file taxes single.

Also, Does anyone knows about filing jointly the federal income tax and declaring world income especially if your spouse worked in his country (in my case, Sri Lanka)?

Thanks for everyone's comments

When you do MFJ and if your foreign spouse has earned income from foreign country, yes it has to be declared as "worldwide income" - http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96734,00.html

And I know many people do not include this foreign income in MFJ, since there is no computer link to audit, between IRS and many other countries except a few close partner countries.

Loto

[OBX 51]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH OBX!! this is very helpful. thanks again for attaching the 2008 version of pub 519.

just in case if anyone else was looking for 2009 version of pub 519, published by IRS, i looked it up after OBX's suggestion and included the link here. PDF by OBX as well the link are very helpful(http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/ar01.html)...they answer almost all your tax questions.

Thanks for the new info

[EAbbas 213]

I am married with one child. I called the IRS and was told I could file head of household sense my husband is still in Pakistan with no SSN. That is what I did. If you want to save time I would file the return as single. It will not hurt your husband at the interview that you didn't file jointly.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!! I have 3 girls and i married him in oct we havent' lived together the last 6 months obviously so I was reading that I could indeed file head of houshold single since he isn't here yet...and to know you actually got athat info while I was searching...perfect!!! THANKS!!!!!!!

If you are married you can file as head of household if you can be considered unmarried. All of the following must be true:

You and your spouse file separately.

You pay more than 50% of the expenses of maintaining the household.

Your spouse did not live in the home for the last 6 months of the year.

The household is the principal home of a qualifying person or child.

You can claim an exemption for a qualifying person or child.

You can also file as head of household if your spouse was a nonresident alien at any time during the year. However, your spouse does not count as a qualifying person. You must have another person and meet all the other tests to qualify for head of household.

Edited January 12, 2011 by EAbbas

[dan_ling 6]

When you do MFJ and if your foreign spouse has earned income from foreign country, yes it has to be declared as "worldwide income" - http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96734,00.html

And I know many people do not include this foreign income in MFJ, since there is no computer link to audit, between IRS and many other countries except a few close partner countries.

Loto

By filing MFJ you can exempt the spouse's overseas income for the 1st year only if the amount is less than $91,400.