Filling out N-400, got stuck on a Tax Filing Question.

[Summy87 0]

Hello Everyone,

 

I am filling out N-400 but got stuck on the question where it asked "if you have filed taxes after you have become permanent resident", I became permanent resident on Aug 2013, but I was unemployed during 2013, so didn't file taxes for the year 2013. But I have filed for all other years after. So, my question is should I say "yes" to the question as I have filed for every other year I was employed? Or do I have to say "NO" and explain why I didn't file for 2013? 

Has anyone been in this situation? Would you kindly let me know what have you answered on this question if you have similar experience?

 

Thank you

[GreatDane 366]

5 minutes ago, Summy87 said:

Hello Everyone,

 

I am filling out N-400 but got stuck on the question where it asked "if you have filed taxes after you have become permanent resident", I became permanent resident on Aug 2013, but I was unemployed during 2013, so didn't file taxes for the year 2013. But I have filed for all other years after. So, my question is should I say "yes" to the question as I have filed for every other year I was employed? Or do I have to say "NO" and explain why I didn't file for 2013? 

Has anyone been in this situation? Would you kindly let me know what have you answered on this question if you have similar experience?

 

Thank you

Were you married? Did your spouse file income taxes?

[ohman 5]

I would file (late) for 2013 and mark yes. 

[Life_love 45]

13 hours ago, Summy87 said:

Hello Everyone,

 

I am filling out N-400 but got stuck on the question where it asked "if you have filed taxes after you have become permanent resident", I became permanent resident on Aug 2013, but I was unemployed during 2013, so didn't file taxes for the year 2013. But I have filed for all other years after. So, my question is should I say "yes" to the question as I have filed for every other year I was employed? Or do I have to say "NO" and explain why I didn't file for 2013? 

Has anyone been in this situation? Would you kindly let me know what have you answered on this question if you have similar experience?

 

Thank you

That's exactly the same situation i'm in. I didn't file 2013, i became a PR in June of that year and earned no income (husband filed separately).  Based on the info i got here i decide to file back taxes but tax service ppl (&irs ) said i had nothing to declare i am not legally required to file with no income/tax to report. Also couldn't ask my husband to amend his cos we are no longer together after almost 7 yrs..(married for 5 1/2....funny how lovers can become strangers   ...but that's another story). 

 

Well I contacted an immigrtion attorney that reassured me everything was fine and suggested i select "NO" with an explanation if it made me feel any better cos i was concerned about not disclosing it could be perceived as bad.  I have also read similar situations where people have ticked yes and that did not bring up any problems. 

 

So if youre like me and are worried about the category you fall in, in that question....selecting no with an explanation would suffice. 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2018 by Life_love

[Haideraaz 19]

I'm just like you ,, I did not file as my parents are sponsoring my studies and I passed the interview don't worry

[ohman 5]

If you are doing naturalization paperwork, file all your back taxes. Yes, even if you did not earn a cent. Just send in the form with all 0's, it is not hard. 

 

People who don't file taxes are drug dealers and stuff. Just file your backtaxes, it is not hard. But if you would like to raise suspicion I suppose it would be ok not to file late. 

 

It does not matter if you are legally required to fill them out or not, if you are naturalizing you want them dome every year. There are even questions like "did you file taxes every year?" You really do not want to be compelled to say no to that, a huge red flag. 

[CTgal18 157]

 

26 minutes ago, ohman said:

If you are doing naturalization paperwork, file all your back taxes. Yes, even if you did not earn a cent. Just send in the form with all 0's, it is not hard. 

 

People who don't file taxes are drug dealers and stuff. Just file your backtaxes, it is not hard. But if you would like to raise suspicion I suppose it would be ok not to file late. 

 

It does not matter if you are legally required to fill them out or not, if you are naturalizing you want them dome every year. There are even questions like "did you file taxes every year?" You really do not want to be compelled to say no to that, a huge red flag. 

This statement is inaccurate as there is actually criteria from the IRS on who needs to file a tax return. If everyone should be filing taxes every year, why would these criteria exist?? It is NOT a requirement for everyone to file taxes even if they make $0. I have been a permanent resident for 14 years and didn’t file for the first 5 years due to not working while in school. I was not required to file any of those years and I stated on my N400 application that I’ve always filed my taxes, which I have when I was required to. No red flags , no suspicion or issues during my naturalization process because I didn’t make any income and according to the federal government, I was not required to file. Do not claim that only people who don’t file taxes are “drug dealers” because that’s just not true. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by CTgal18

[ohman 5]

4 hours ago, CTgal18 said:

 

This statement is inaccurate as there is actually criteria from the IRS on who needs to file a tax return. If everyone should be filing taxes every year, why would these criteria exist?? It is NOT a requirement for everyone to file taxes even if they make $0. I have been a permanent resident for 14 years and didn’t file for the first 5 years due to not working while in school. I was not required to file any of those years and I stated on my N400 application that I’ve always filed my taxes, which I have when I was required to. No red flags , no suspicion or issues during my naturalization process because I didn’t make any income and according to the federal government, I was not required to file. Do not claim that only people who don’t file taxes are “drug dealers” because that’s just not true. 

I did not say it was a requirment, or did not mean to. All I am saying is if you are trying to become a citizen, file all your taxes, for every single year, even if you have to do it late. If you don't like that advice I understand, I would just argue it is more of a red flag. For example, what is kore of a red flag... your last five years of taxes are all filed and in order, or you have not filed taxes for five years? Do you see that? Plus, as I said, they as you if you have filed all your taxes. If you say no to one of they "yes" questions, that is bad news, especially when you can just send in a tax form will zeros on it, but do as you will. 

 

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it is a requirement for your citizenship that you file your taxes in the years that pertain to your citizenship status. You jot having to file, and you jot having to file while trying to become a citizen are two different things, and it is where you sre getting confused. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by ohman

[ohman 5]

Maybe I am not understandimg the problem. What is the diffculty in simply filing the back taxes? 

 

In any event, I will leave it up to the op whether or not to do it. But, for example, if you don't work this year while you file the n400, for gods sake file a tax return saying you earned zero, dont be stupid and not file. 

[CTgal18 157]

5 minutes ago, ohman said:

I did not say it was a requirment, or did not mean to. All I am saying is if you are trying to become a citizen, file all your taxes, for every single year, even if you have to do it late. If you don't like that advice I understand, I would just argue it is more of a red flag. For example, what is kore of a red flag... your last five years of taxes are all filed and in order, or you have not filed taxes for five years? Do you see that? Plus, as I said, they as you if you have filed all your taxes. If you say no to one of they "yes" questions, that is bad news, especially when you can just send in a tax form will zeros on it, but do as you will. 

 

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it is a requirement for your citizenship that you file your taxes in the years that pertain to your citizenship status. You jot having to file, and you jot having to file while trying to become a citizen are two different things, and it is where you sre getting confused. 

I am not confused. There is no such criteria that you have to file taxes for the naturalization process even if the IRS didn’t require you to. You can show me solid proof to prove me wrong.  People may do it for piece of mind or do it on a joint income tax if married but that is used as proof of living in marital union. Like I said I didn’t file taxes for 5 years because I was in school and had no income and I had zero issues with my application. The tax issue does not have a statutory period like traveling or being arrested, you can be denied on N400 for not filing taxes 10 years ago if you were required to and didn’t. Which is why the question asks “have you EVER not filed taxes” and not “in the past five years” like it does for travel. 

 

1 minute ago, ohman said:

Maybe I am not understandimg the problem. What is the diffculty in simply filing the back taxes? 

 

In any event, I will leave it up to the op whether or not to do it. But, for example, if you don't work this year while you file the n400, for gods sake file a tax return saying you earned zero, dont be stupid and not file. 

 Again, you are sending the wrong message to people on a public forum that you have to file taxes even if you make zero dollars and if you don’t, you are “being stupid” which is incorrect. The OP is more than welcome to do it for piece of mind but if it is not a legal requirement, the simple explanation on the form that they weren’t required to file taxes will not cause red flags or suspicion unless OP is hiding something. 

[ohman 5]

7 minutes ago, CTgal18 said:

I am not confused. There is no such criteria that you have to file taxes for the naturalization process even if the IRS didn’t require you to. You can show me solid proof to prove me wrong.  People may do it for piece of mind or do it on a joint income tax if married but that is used as proof of living in marital union. Like I said I didn’t file taxes for 5 years because I was in school and had no income and I had zero issues with my application. The tax issue does not have a statutory period like traveling or being arrested, you can be denied on N400 for not filing taxes 10 years ago if you were required to and didn’t. Which is why the question asks “have you EVER not filed taxes” and not “in the past five years” like it does for travel. 

 

 Again, you are sending the wrong message to people on a public forum that you have to file taxes even if you make zero dollars and if you don’t, you are “being stupid” which is incorrect. The OP is more than welcome to do it for piece of mind but if it is not a legal requirement, the simple explanation on the form that they weren’t required to file taxes will not cause red flags or suspicion unless OP is hiding something. 

I will just take your word for it. Ok, settled. 

 

But, impressions matter. Again, what is better as an io looks over your forms for approval or not. Exagerated example: last five years no filed taxes, or last five years all filed and everything in order. 

 

You can say whatever you want, even assuming your argument is correct, you are still wrong. It is mot peace of mind, it dould be the difference of whether or not you are a citizen or not. These are the exact type of things they que in on.... taxes! If you have no taxes filed, your legitimacy goes down alomg with your chances of approval. I thought this was common knowledge. 

 

If you are going to file an n400, file all your taxes, and back taxes for the years in question would be my advice. You are still not giving me a valid reason why one would not do this?

Edited July 21, 2018 by ohman

[CTgal18 157]

7 minutes ago, ohman said:

I will just take your word for it. Ok, settled. 

 

But, impressions matter. Again, what is better as an io looks over your forms for approval or not. Exagerated example: last five years no filed taxes, or last five years all filed and everything in order. 

 

You can say whatever you want, even assuming your argument is correct, you are still wrong. It is mot peace of mind, it dould be the difference of whether or not you are a citizen or not. These are the exact type of things they que in on.... taxes! If you have no taxes filed, your legitimacy goes down alomg with your chances of approval. I thought this was common knowledge. 

But your opinion or mine is not what matters, the LAW is what matters. And you are not breaking or even bending the law if you don’t file taxes when you are not required. The IRS lays it out plain and simple who is required to file taxes and who is not. Those laws and requirements are all that matters.

 

And your argument of legitimacy and chances of approval argument is clearly incorrect as I was approved on the spot and will be naturalized Thursday. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by CTgal18

[ohman 5]

1 minute ago, CTgal18 said:

But your opinion or mine is not what matters, the LAW is what matters. And you are not breaking or even bending the law if you don’t file taxes when you are not required. The IRS lays it out plain and simple who is required to file taxes and who is not. Those laws and requirements are all that matters. 

I hear these arguments all the time, so off base. In my opinion you are confused if you don't think filing taxes is important when naturalizing. 

 

What you are saying is like saying it does not matter what I wear to a job interview, what I say and my answers on paper are all that matters. Are you living in the real world? What you wear, what you drive, how you look, it all matters. It should not matter, but it does.

 

So yes, if you want to naturalize I would file all your taxes if you would like to make a better impression. Honestly thought there are folks in here who know much more about it than me (you obviously not being one of them), and I would happily defer to them. But, you still have jot answered, "why in the world don't you just file with a reported income of 0?"

[CTgal18 157]

1 minute ago, ohman said:

I hear these arguments all the time, so off base. In my opinion you are confused if you don't think filing taxes is important when naturalizing. 

 

What you are saying is like saying it does not matter what I wear to a job interview, what I say and my answers on paper are all that matters. Are you living in the real world? What you wear, what you drive, how you look, it all matters. It should not matter, but it does.

 

So yes, if you want to naturalize I would file all your taxes if you would like to make a better impression. Honestly thought there are folks in here who know much more about it than me (you obviously not being one of them), and I would happily defer to them. But, you still have jot answered, "why in the world don't you just file with a reported income of 0?"

Well it’s guess you should go have a conversation with my immigration officer who approved me on the spot even after not having filed for 5 years while I was in school and not making income. He didn’t even blink an eye. But I guess you must know better than him. 

[ohman 5]

10 minutes ago, CTgal18 said:

Well it’s guess you should go have a conversation with my immigration officer who approved me on the spot even after not having filed for 5 years while I was in school and not making income. He didn’t even blink an eye. But I guess you must know better than him. 

No, I am not saying that. All I was really contending is your overall chances would have been better by filing, so why not file? You know to file a tax return when you make no koney takes 5 minutes, right? I should know, I have done it lol. 

 

I guess to each their own. If I was in your spot I would have filed because you can potentially cause more problems for yourself by not filing. Did he ask you a question about not filing? You would not even get that question if you filed. I still don't see the problem with just filing. I would be curious what others say. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by ohman