Filing Income Taxes

[vannalynn4 0]

Hello,

My husband and I were married last year (August 2014) and are currently waiting on our results for AOS forms.
I am soon filing income taxes and have a few questions.

- Can I claim my husband as a dependent? He has never worked in the US and worked minimally in the UK in 2014. I am the only income for the house.

- Are any of the filing fees associated with immigration tax deductible?

- Is there any other information I should know before I start my tax process?

Thanks!
Vanna

[baron555 934]

Yes

No

No

[JohnR! 5,495]

- Can I claim my husband as a dependent? He has never worked in the US and worked minimally in the UK in 2014. I am the only income for the house.

You can't claim your husband as a dependent. You can choose MFJ/MFS status depending on what is more convenient for you.

- Are any of the filing fees associated with immigration tax deductible?

Only those fees you paid to doctors for the medical examinations. You can claim those as deductions in your tax return.

- Is there any other information I should know before I start my tax process?

Filing your taxes id pretty straightforward. If you've never done it yourself, consider using some of the software products available. They'll guids you through the process and help you file your taxes electronically.

Good luck.

[vannalynn4 0]

- Is there any other information I should know before I start my tax process?

Filing your taxes id pretty straightforward. If you've never done it yourself, consider using some of the software products available. They'll guide you through the process and help you file your taxes electronically.

I am using Turbo Tax. What do I put when they ask for my husband's SSN? He does not have one since he is still a non-resident alien. I tried entering "NRA" but the software will only allow numbers to be entered into the field. Does this mean I have to file manually by mail? Or is there another software I can use that allows me to enter characters other than numbers?

[JohnR! 5,495]

If you want to enter NRA on the forms you must print the forms and mail them. TurboTax will give you that option as well. Have you applied for his SSN? If he's going through AOS he should be able to apply and receive his SSN.

I am using Turbo Tax. What do I put when they ask for my husband's SSN? He does not have one since he is still a non-resident alien. I tried entering "NRA" but the software will only allow numbers to be entered into the field. Does this mean I have to file manually by mail? Or is there another software I can use that allows me to enter characters other than numbers?

[vannalynn4 0]

If you want to enter NRA on the forms you must print the forms and mail them. TurboTax will give you that option as well. Have you applied for his SSN? If he's going through AOS he should be able to apply and receive his SSN.

Can we apply for a SSN even if we haven't been approved yet for the AOS form?

[JohnR! 5,495]

Yes, you can at this point.

Can we apply for a SSN even if we haven't been approved yet for the AOS form?

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K1 Process to Tax & Finances During US Immigration Forum~

~Inquiry about federal income tax~

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hello,

My husband and I were married last year (August 2014) and are currently waiting on our results for AOS forms.

I am soon filing income taxes and have a few questions.

- Can I claim my husband as a dependent? He has never worked in the US and worked minimally in the UK in 2014. I am the only income for the house.

- Are any of the filing fees associated with immigration tax deductible?

- Is there any other information I should know before I start my tax process?

Thanks!

Vanna

Terminology: a husband is not a dependent on a tax return. Children are.

You may file married filing separately and he files nothing since he had no US income. Where it asks for his SSN, put NRA.

OR if he had a SSN, you could file jointly with him and your taxes will be less because of the exemption and additional standard deduction he qualifies for. He had to apply for his SSN in the first 76 days after his POE as a K1. The window is closed now until he gets EAD or a greencard. NRA does not work on a joint tax return. The other option is to get him an ITIN. Often that requires mailing off his actual passport with the tax return. If you live near a large city, there may be an IRS center that can view his passport and certify a photocopy so the copy can go with it. Mailing off his passport is not a good idea now because he will need it for ID and an interview.

If you manage to get an ITIN and file jointly, you each must sign a statement saying you both wish for him to be treated as a resident alien for tax purposes. That is a perk the is allowed when married to a USC. Go to the IRS website and find Pblication 519. Somewhere around page 9 or 10 there is a topic called something like Non-resident spouse treated as a resident. It tells you about the statement and what you should say in it.

If you file jointly, then you must include his UK income. TurboTax lets you put that in way at the bottom of possible income topics under "Less Common Income". He will be able to exclude his foreign income using Form 2555-Foreign Income Exclusion, but it must show up in Line 7 of the 1040 with yours, then it subtracts out on Line 21.