Filing taxes before spouse gets here

[alohaspirit 0]

To use the filing status Single you have to be unmarried as of Dec 31st 2006, to file Head of Household you have to be divorced or hold a legally binding separation agreement and have a qualifying dependent...

The correct filling status for someone married to a non-resident alien should be Married filing separate or Married filling jointly... you can reduce your tax liability by filing married jointly all you need to do is request a ITIN from IRS for your foreign spouse at the time of filling or before....

For more information see IRS website or IRS publication 17

Be that as it may but it worked for me. That's what filing an amended return is for.

[nyseness 0]

Sounds like "married filing jointly" is the way to go!! Question to the informed folks : does one have to report the income that the spouse earned abroad? Sounds kinda silly to be doing so, but thought I'd ask anyways.

Good question, I was thinking of that same question myself!

I was also wondering the same thing. My husband is currently working and haven't for some time, so therefore he wouldn't have any income. I understand what everyone is saying but it just seem unfair. I know we are married but why should we be penalized for being married to a non-resident. I'm not looking for a huge refund so filing jointly doesn't matter to me but if I chose to file separetely I get burn. Just don't seem right, but that's Uncle Sam for you. Thanks all for explaining it so well.

But wait, I have another question. Could someone file head of household and once their SO arrive file an amended return for the correct filing status????? Just a thought.

Edited November 28, 2006 by nyseness

[nyseness 0]

Sounds like "married filing jointly" is the way to go!! Question to the informed folks : does one have to report the income that the spouse earned abroad? Sounds kinda silly to be doing so, but thought I'd ask anyways.

Good question, I was thinking of that same question myself!

I was also wondering the same thing. My husband is currently working and haven't for some time, so therefore he wouldn't have any income. I understand what everyone is saying but it just seem unfair. I know we are married but why should we be penalized for being married to a non-resident. I'm not looking for a huge refund so filing jointly doesn't matter to me but if I chose to file separetely I get burn. Just don't seem right, but that's Uncle Sam for you. Thanks all for explaining it so well.

But wait, I have another question. Could someone file head of household and once their SO arrive file an amended return for the correct filing status????? Just a thought.

Actually I answered my own question. Check this out for anyone w/head of household questions. It's on page 6, but you have to have other dependents. A spouse cannot be considered as one. Hope this helps.

Edited November 28, 2006 by nyseness

[joe84 0]

Sounds like "married filing jointly" is the way to go!! Question to the informed folks : does one have to report the income that the spouse earned abroad? Sounds kinda silly to be doing so, but thought I'd ask anyways.

Folks, anyone knows the answer to this question? Thanks!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

When I spoke to an IRS officer, they said you do.

[Yodrak 7]

joe,

To echo szsz, the answer is yes. A US taxpayer has to report all income earned anywhere in the world to the IRS. They may not owe any tax on the income, but they have to report it.

Yodrak

Sounds like "married filing jointly" is the way to go!! Question to the informed folks : does one have to report the income that the spouse earned abroad? Sounds kinda silly to be doing so, but thought I'd ask anyways.

Folks, anyone knows the answer to this question? Thanks!

[doodlebug 3]

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch02.html

Nonresident alien spouse. You are considered unmarried for head of household purposes if your spouse was a nonresident alien at any time during the year and you do not choose to treat your nonresident spouse as a resident alien. However, your spouse is not a qualifying person for head of household purposes. You must have another qualifying person and meet the other tests to be eligible to file as a head of household.

I will be married, insha Allah, on Dec 27 and will be filing head of household as I normally do since I have two dependents. By doing so I do not have to include my spouse's income that he earns abroad.

To use the filing status Single you have to be unmarried as of Dec 31st 2006, to file Head of Household you have to be divorced or hold a legally binding separation agreement and have a qualifying dependent...

The correct filling status for someone married to a non-resident alien should be Married filing separate or Married filling jointly... you can reduce your tax liability by filing married jointly all you need to do is request a ITIN from IRS for your foreign spouse at the time of filling or before....

For more information see IRS website or IRS publication 17

That's not necessarily true if you see my quote above from that same publication.

[joe84 0]

Thanks szsz and Yodrak!