I-864, what to do about joint taxes

[beccaogingi 0]

Another AOS question... I am filling out the sponsor form. My K1 fiance (husband in 10 days, yippie!!) is a second marriage, so my old taxes are joint filed with my ex-husband. The form (either I-864 or I-864EZ) asks me to fill out gross income from my 1040 forms... so how should I fill this out? Do I separate out my income and put the amount from the W2? Or do I put that total income, that seems wrong. There doesn't even seem to be a place to specify it. Argh.

[Yodrak 7]

beccaogingi,

You shouldn't have to separate out your income from your ex-husband's - you should have the numbers already. How did you calculate the joint number on your tax returns? I suspect that you did it by adding your income numbers to your ex-husband's income numbers.

Go back to those calculations.

Yodrak

Another AOS question... I am filling out the sponsor form. My K1 fiance (husband in 10 days, yippie!!) is a second marriage, so my old taxes are joint filed with my ex-husband. The form (either I-864 or I-864EZ) asks me to fill out gross income from my 1040 forms... so how should I fill this out? Do I separate out my income and put the amount from the W2? Or do I put that total income, that seems wrong. There doesn't even seem to be a place to specify it. Argh.

[beccaogingi 0]

Well, right, I can fill in the amount from my W-2 plus my 1099 from freelance income, but my question was according to the instructions, I am supposed to put the gross income from the 1040 form. I guess it's just an issue of semantics.

I can put my actual gross income, it just doesn't correspond to the tax forms.

[rushter 0]

Yodrak's right. Read the instructions.

I'd use the gross income from the 1040 and not even think about an ex-husband.

They like the numbers to match up and make sense.

The form (either I-864 or I-864EZ) asks me to fill out gross income from my 1040 forms... so how should I fill this out?

You already answered your own question

fill out gross income from my 1040 forms.

[beccaogingi 0]

This is my point. The gross income from the 1040 (filed jointly) is X+Y. My gross income is X. So following the instructions, it sounds like I would put that X+Y, but that would be wrong, since it is not all my income. So to me, MY income from that year seems like it would make the most sense, but that is NOT the gross income on the 1040 form.

Nobody's done this before? Should I call USCIS? They never seem to be very helpful when I call.

[Yodrak 7]

beccaogingi,

Write your numbers on the I-864. Attach a simple 3-column table showing your numbers + ex-'s numbers = tax return numbers.

Why do you think they want to see a complete copy of the tax return? Those W-2s and 1099s contain essential information in situations such as yours.

Yodrak

Well, right, I can fill in the amount from my W-2 plus my 1099 from freelance income, but my question was according to the instructions, I am supposed to put the gross income from the 1040 form. I guess it's just an issue of semantics.

I can put my actual gross income, it just doesn't correspond to the tax forms.

Edited September 21, 2006 by Yodrak