I have a question on I-864 form. Should I check this field (Part 6, Question 20)? (merged)

[quesma 10]

HI,

My wife is my sponsor and is filling form I-864 Affidavit of support for me. She is unemployed and has never filed income tax return. She has mentioned her income as 0 for her last three years. However there is a checkbox below which says "I was not required to file a Federal Income Tax Return as my income was below the IRS required level and I have attached evidence to support this". My wife's income was 0, so should we check this field or leave it unchecked?

Please help. Thanks.

[KayDeeCee 4,896]

If she did not file taxes, then she should be putting N/A for the total income from the last 3 tax returns. She never filed any. And of course she checks that box. Her income was too low to file for the last 3 years so she never filed.

NOTE: Do not leave the boxes for Item Number 19.a. blank. Print or type the most recent tax year and your total
income for that most recent tax year. If the amount was zero, enter “zero” or if you were not required to file a Federal
income tax return enter “N/A” for not applicable.

Have her read through the I-864 form instructions.

[quesma 10]

If she did not file taxes, then she should be putting N/A for the total income from the last 3 tax returns. She never filed any. And of course she checks that box. Her income was too low to file for the last 3 years so she never filed.

NOTE: Do not leave the boxes for Item Number 19.a. blank. Print or type the most recent tax year and your total

income for that most recent tax year. If the amount was zero, enter “zero” or if you were not required to file a Federal

income tax return enter “N/A” for not applicable.

Have her read through the I-864 form instructions.

We both read again and again. However, from what we understand, low income and zero income are two different things. Her income was 0, so we put zero. We would put N/A if she had some income and was too low. So it again comes down to that checkbox, her income was zero, what evidence would we give besides an explanation if we check this box? Please help. I am not saying I am right, I am just brainstorming.

[KayDeeCee 4,896]

She did not file, therefore she had no Total Income from her tax returns. There were NO tax returns. The answer is N/A. Her income from the last 3 tax returns is NOT APPLICABLE. She did not file. There are no returns.

She checks the box. Her income was too low to file. ZERO income is definitely too low to be required to file. She provides a statement explaining why she was not legally obligated to file taxes for the last 3 years.

Where it asks for current annual income is where she states she is unemployed and puts her income amount as 0.

[quesma 10]

She did not file, therefore she had no Total Income from her tax returns. There were NO tax returns. The answer is N/A. Her income from the last 3 tax returns is NOT APPLICABLE. She did not file. There are no returns.

She checks the box. Her income was too low to file. ZERO income is definitely too low to be required to file. She provides a statement explaining why she was not legally obligated to file taxes for the last 3 years.

Where it asks for current annual income is where she states she is unemployed and puts her income amount as 0.

True. But this para from Instrucations is confusing:

If you were not required to file a Federal income tax return under U.S. tax law because your income was too low, attach a typed or printed explanation. If you were not required to file a Federal income tax return under U.S. tax law for any other reason, attach a typed or printed explanation including evidence of the exemption and how you are subject to it.

[quesma 10]

She did not file, therefore she had no Total Income from her tax returns. There were NO tax returns. The answer is N/A. Her income from the last 3 tax returns is NOT APPLICABLE. She did not file. There are no returns.

She checks the box. Her income was too low to file. ZERO income is definitely too low to be required to file. She provides a statement explaining why she was not legally obligated to file taxes for the last 3 years.

Where it asks for current annual income is where she states she is unemployed and puts her income amount as 0.

I think you are right. However, When I try to put N/A in the fields the PDF does not allow me to put letters. It allows only to put numbers,

[quesma 10]

Hi, I want to enter N/A in Fields 19a, 19b and 19c of Part 6 in the form I-864 Affidavit of Support. Although the instructions tell to put N/A if there were no tax returns filed, the Adobe PDF wont let me enter characters. What should I do? If I print out the form and hand write the fields when the bar-code wont get updated and the info might miss out. Please advise.

Thanks.

[quesma 10]

She did not file, therefore she had no Total Income from her tax returns. There were NO tax returns. The answer is N/A. Her income from the last 3 tax returns is NOT APPLICABLE. She did not file. There are no returns.

She checks the box. Her income was too low to file. ZERO income is definitely too low to be required to file. She provides a statement explaining why she was not legally obligated to file taxes for the last 3 years.

Where it asks for current annual income is where she states she is unemployed and puts her income amount as 0.

Confired. You are right.

[zorus40k 21]

Those fields are for numbers only and you leave it blank if taxes were not reported for recent or 3 years

as possible solution:

Download form from USCIS site

I filled it out with Adobe Reader https://get.adobe.com/reader/ and it should work with interactive form fields that changing barcode for officer to process document faster. But you can also try Foxit Reader it works with those fields and returns error if you try enter characters.

Edited July 7, 2016 by zorus40k

[quesma 10]

Those fields are for numbers only and you leave it blank if taxes were not reported for recent or 3 years

as possible solution:

Download form from USCIS site

I filled it out with Adobe Reader https://get.adobe.com/reader/ and it should work with interactive form fields that changing barcode for officer to process document faster. But you can also try Foxit Reader it works with those fields and returns error if you try enter characters.

I am still unable to write N/A. Can you please suggest how do I do that?

[gpiper 77]

Or simply add an addendum to the form if you really want them to know it's not applicable and the reason for it.

Each if my forms had an addendum with additional information I wanted to convey.

Edited July 7, 2016 by gpiper

[quesma 10]

Or simply add an addendum to the form if you really want them to know it's not applicable and the reason for it.

Each if my forms had an addendum with additional information I wanted to convey.

Thanks. I have written this as an additional info. Is it correct?

"THE ANSWER IS "N/A". HOWEVER, ADOBE READER DOES NOT ALLOW TO ENTER ALPHABETS IN THIS FIELD. "N/A" HAS BEEN WRITTEN WITH AN INK PEN AFTER PRINTOUT. A PRINTED AND SIGNED LETTER OF EXPLANATION OF EXEMPTION HAS BEEN ATTAHCHED WITH THIS FORM."

[quesma 10]

HI,

My wife is filling I-864 is my sponsor. She has never worked and is unemployed. She was a full time student till 2015. On the form Part 6 item 1d it says to enter "Unemployed since", what should I write here since she has never worked.

Thanks.

[gpiper 77]

Thanks. I have written this as an additional info. Is it correct?

"THE ANSWER IS "N/A". HOWEVER, ADOBE READER DOES NOT ALLOW TO ENTER ALPHABETS IN THIS FIELD. "N/A" HAS BEEN WRITTEN WITH AN INK PEN AFTER PRINTOUT. A PRINTED AND SIGNED LETTER OF EXPLANATION OF EXEMPTION HAS BEEN ATTAHCHED WITH THIS FORM."

Yes but be sure to reference the section number as well as the question number it relates to. Edited July 7, 2016 by gpiper

[quesma 10]

Yes but be sure to reference the section number as well as the question number it relates to.

Thanks. One more question. My wife has never worked so she has been unemployed forever. So in the field there it asks "Unemployed Since" what should I write? Thanks.

Your fast response will be appreciated as I am about to leave to file.