Need help please

[bsarachem 0]

Was just going over my documents getting ready for interview when I noticed my tax paper from 2009 to 2011 I filled single , this past year i did head of household been married since October 2011. Do I need to fix this ? Please help if u can.

[speedwell 224]

Was just going over my documents getting ready for interview when I noticed my tax paper from 2009 to 2011 I filled single , this past year i did head of household been married since October 2011. Do I need to fix this ? Please help if u can.

You can file HOH as married if your foreign spouse did not reside in the US for the tax year, and if you had other dependents (children, parents, etc.) who you claimed on the tax form for that year. That's OK.

For the 2011 tax year, you can send an updated tax form using the IRS rules for amending a tax form. If your spouse has a tax ID (ITIN or SSN), you can update the taxes to show married filing joint, or you can choose to file married filing separately, whichever one makes the most sense to you.

For the interview, simply explain that you made a mistake and show what you have done so far to fix the mistake. People make that mistake all the time, sometimes relying on advice from ignorant tax preparers.

[Highyella72 11]

You can file HOH as married if your foreign spouse did not reside in the US for the tax year, and if you had other dependents (children, parents, etc.) who you claimed on the tax form for that year. That's OK.

For the 2011 tax year, you can send an updated tax form using the IRS rules for amending a tax form. If your spouse has a tax ID (ITIN or SSN), you can update the taxes to show married filing joint, or you can choose to file married filing separately, whichever one makes the most sense to you.

For the interview, simply explain that you made a mistake and show what you have done so far to fix the mistake. People make that mistake all the time, sometimes relying on advice from ignorant tax preparers.

I was curious about this too. I sent all my documents to NVC and did not get an RFE and I filed single head of household. I read online and talked to a representative at HR Block whom I have used the past 8 years that because he was a non-resident that I could file as single. Once he is here it is another story. Will see at his interview in a couple of weeks if it becomes an issue, but I doubt it will as it was looked over by the NVC with no RFE.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Highyella72

[speedwell 224]

I was curious about this too. I sent all my documents to NVC and did not get an RFE and I filed single head of household. I read online and talked to a representative at HR Block whom I have used the past 8 years that because he was a non-resident that I could file as single. Once he is here it is another story. Will see at his interview in a couple of weeks if it becomes an issue, but I doubt it will as it was looked over by the NVC with no RFE.

HR Block representatives are notorious for giving wrong advice on this question. It is never the case that you can file single if you are married on December 31st of the tax year in question. There are strict rules for filing head of household under very limited circumstances, but even that is not a single filing status.

[jdba 22]

HR Block representatives are notorious for giving wrong advice on this question. It is never the case that you can file single if you are married on December 31st of the tax year in question. There are strict rules for filing head of household under very limited circumstances, but even that is not a single filing status.

I was told by the IRS that you don't have to claim a spouse living outside the USA in any way if they don't have ITN or SSN . She told me it didn't matter if I filed Single or head of household. That if he don't have an ITN or SSN and we didn't share an income then I could file single or head of household which ever one applied to me

[speedwell 224]

I was told by the IRS that you don't have to claim a spouse living outside the USA in any way if they don't have ITN or SSN . She told me it didn't matter if I filed Single or head of household. That if he don't have an ITN or SSN and we didn't share an income then I could file single or head of household which ever one applied to me

The IRS phone lines are notoriously prone to giving wrong information. The information I am giving you is according to the tax laws. The information the IRS agent gave you is contrary to the tax laws.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The first round of IRS phone people are directly related to the USCIS misinformation line. Go to IRS.gov and use the tool for filing status. Once you put married there is no way to file single even if your spouse in on Mars.