Im in the Philippines, how to file tax!

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

9 hours ago, AlexKissley said:

I dont know how to do all of these while im in the Philippines. Can i print the paper form then mail it in US with w-7 and passport and marriage cert? Can i still file even if i dont have any income for the whole 2018?

ok, you posted you haven't filed 2018 yet so i assumed you had income and would be doing this

so, were you married in 2017 and did you have income?

you need an income to sponsor him

i will let others answer from here as this is beyond what i can answer

 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

9 hours ago, AlexKissley said:

Say ill MFJ, can i file on paper while im in Philippines? And even i didnt have income the whole year?

You can file online without issue. I used to do that when I worked abroad as well. 

[AlexKissley 3]

56 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

You can file online without issue. I used to do that when I worked abroad as well. 

I dont have ssn/itin for my husband.

[AlexKissley 3]

5 hours ago, Loren Y said:

The forms you can get online, print then file. The easiest solution is to just request an extension. You print the form, mail it in, and your usually good until October. If you go this route, make sure you file by the deadline they give you, or they will have no problems backdating any penalities you may incur for not filing.  This puts a bandaid over the problem you currently face, but if your going back to the United States before October, no problems, swing by a tax place and get them done.

Can you file an extension online? I dont have an income for the whole 2018. I was in the philippines for almosy a year

[AlexKissley 3]

1 hour ago, adil-rafa said:

ok, you posted you haven't filed 2018 yet so i assumed you had income and would be doing this

so, were you married in 2017 and did you have income?

you need an income to sponsor him

i will let others answer from here as this is beyond what i can answer

 

I had an income 2016 & 2017. However, for 2018 til now i am here in Philippines. Thats why i didnt work. Were using a joint sponsor so i can petition my husband.

[Just Paul 4,595]

2 minutes ago, AlexKissley said:

However, for 2018 til now i am here in Philippines. Thats why i didnt work.

You just write a letter stating you didn't make enough to file for 2018 and include your prior years tax transcripts.   That is the easiest way.

[aaron2020 11,651]

17 minutes ago, AlexKissley said:

I dont have ssn/itin for my husband.

File the W-7 with your tax return to get an ITIN for hubby.  You must file by mail.  You can not file online.

 

You have no income, so it's kinda worthless to file unless you have a USC or green card child.

 

For the I-864, all you need is a signed statement that you were not required to file a tax return.

Edited March 28, 2019 by aaron2020

[Loren Y 2,756]

1 hour ago, AlexKissley said:

Can you file an extension online? I dont have an income for the whole 2018. I was in the philippines for almosy a year

I'll call my CPA and ask, give me a half hour.

[Loren Y 2,756]

1 hour ago, AlexKissley said:

Can you file an extension online? I dont have an income for the whole 2018. I was in the philippines for almosy a year

Called my CPA, he said you can request an extension online, here is the link to a list of free services below....

 

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-everyone-can-file-an-extension-for-free

 

He also said, and I see people saying it here that you just need to send a letter saying you didn't make enough for the tax year so you don't need to file. He said why that is accurate, and will work, since you are obviously involved in immigration proceedings that is not what you want to do. He says he makes a good living of back-filing taxes for people that get stuck out of the blue because all of a sudden USCIS wants to see a tax transcript from a year they didn't file because they didn't make enough money. If you send the letter saying I didn't make enough, you really didn't file, so you will not be able to get a transcript for that year. He said file with a zero income to make sure you can always get a transcript down the line when you might need it, and also you should file because even though you had no income you may still qualify for certain programs or rebates and actually get a refund, and it helps since you will be filing with your now husband you can use the tax transcript for proof of commingled finances if needed down the line. Just because you didn't make any money it still shows you and your spouse filing together  like USCIS likes to see you are doing the husband and wife thing like your supposed to in the marriage. He also said to make you aware that there were a bunch of tax changes for this year including changes to the ITIN process. He said one of the things they changed was that if an ITIN number isn't used for 3 years it gets removed from the system or something so you would have to get a new one. Don't think that matters to you as you will be getting the ITIN for the first time, and once your spouse gets a SS number the ITIN won't matter. His advice was to get an extension because that will be the path of least resistance because coming up with an ITIN and getting your taxes filed by the 15th of next month from outside the United States is going to be a challenge, he was thinking it could be done, but wasn't sure. Also with the extension you don't have to wait until October to file, you just get that much time, you come back to the US in August or something make filing your taxes your first priority to get it out of the way.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

3 hours ago, AlexKissley said:

I dont have ssn/itin for my husband.

Then contact the embassy in order to get one for your asawa. 

[AlexKissley 3]

17 hours ago, Loren Y said:

Just left my first delivery of the day to an obgyn doctors office. Asked the doctor since I was there and wanted to know about flying with a newborn. She said most airlines require the baby to be 2 weeks old in order to travel. With an uncomplicated birth with no issues she recommended about 4 weeks before you fly, and she said c- section or other slightly more complicated delivery, best to give it 6 weeks before you fly. You should be fine at 2 months, unless the child was in ICU or spent more time in the hospital than usual. She is seeing a paitient today that flew back from Dubai after giving birth just 2 days ago. I said that's pretty impressive, she said it wasn't the best thing for the child, it's not the mom that will have issues, it's that the childs immune system isn't up to par to handle all the bad ilnesses they could be exposed to traveling internationally, or even domesticly. 

 

But at 2 months you can fly if needed, but I wouldn't fly back just to file taxes. 

My baby cant come with me if im going back because i still have to do CRBA for that and our embassy requires to have the birth certificate to be certified which we cant get until 6mos after she was born. I dont want to leave without my daughter.

[AlexKissley 3]

11 hours ago, Loren Y said:

husband

 

11 hours ago, Loren Y said:

Called my CPA, he said you can request an extension online, here is the link to a list of free services below....

 

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-everyone-can-file-an-extension-for-free

 

He also said, and I see people saying it here that you just need to send a letter saying you didn't make enough for the tax year so you don't need to file. He said why that is accurate, and will work, since you are obviously involved in immigration proceedings that is not what you want to do. He says he makes a good living of back-filing taxes for people that get stuck out of the blue because all of a sudden USCIS wants to see a tax transcript from a year they didn't file because they didn't make enough money. If you send the letter saying I didn't make enough, you really didn't file, so you will not be able to get a transcript for that year. He said file with a zero income to make sure you can always get a transcript down the line when you might need it, and also you should file because even though you had no income you may still qualify for certain programs or rebates and actually get a refund, and it helps since you will be filing with your now husband you can use the tax transcript for proof of commingled finances if needed down the line. Just because you didn't make any money it still shows you and your spouse filing together  like USCIS likes to see you are doing the husband and wife thing like your supposed to in the marriage. He also said to make you aware that there were a bunch of tax changes for this year including changes to the ITIN process. He said one of the things they changed was that if an ITIN number isn't used for 3 years it gets removed from the system or something so you would have to get a new one. Don't think that matters to you as you will be getting the ITIN for the first time, and once your spouse gets a SS number the ITIN won't matter. His advice was to get an extension because that will be the path of least resistance because coming up with an ITIN and getting your taxes filed by the 15th of next month from outside the United States is going to be a challenge, he was thinking it could be done, but wasn't sure. Also with the extension you don't have to wait until October to file, you just get that much time, you come back to the US in August or something make filing your taxes your first priority to get it out of the way.

Thank you so much! How nice of you to call your CPA to asked all these for me! Thank you thank you for your help. I will file an extension then and will apply for ITIN. Maybe i can amend for 2015, 2016 & 2017 because i was filing MFS before. I just recently found out about ITIN.

[AlexKissley 3]

11 hours ago, Loren Y said:

Called my CPA, he said you can request an extension online, here is the link to a list of free services below....

 

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-everyone-can-file-an-extension-for-free

 

He also said, and I see people saying it here that you just need to send a letter saying you didn't make enough for the tax year so you don't need to file. He said why that is accurate, and will work, since you are obviously involved in immigration proceedings that is not what you want to do. He says he makes a good living of back-filing taxes for people that get stuck out of the blue because all of a sudden USCIS wants to see a tax transcript from a year they didn't file because they didn't make enough money. If you send the letter saying I didn't make enough, you really didn't file, so you will not be able to get a transcript for that year. He said file with a zero income to make sure you can always get a transcript down the line when you might need it, and also you should file because even though you had no income you may still qualify for certain programs or rebates and actually get a refund, and it helps since you will be filing with your now husband you can use the tax transcript for proof of commingled finances if needed down the line. Just because you didn't make any money it still shows you and your spouse filing together  like USCIS likes to see you are doing the husband and wife thing like your supposed to in the marriage. He also said to make you aware that there were a bunch of tax changes for this year including changes to the ITIN process. He said one of the things they changed was that if an ITIN number isn't used for 3 years it gets removed from the system or something so you would have to get a new one. Don't think that matters to you as you will be getting the ITIN for the first time, and once your spouse gets a SS number the ITIN won't matter. His advice was to get an extension because that will be the path of least resistance because coming up with an ITIN and getting your taxes filed by the 15th of next month from outside the United States is going to be a challenge, he was thinking it could be done, but wasn't sure. Also with the extension you don't have to wait until October to file, you just get that much time, you come back to the US in August or something make filing your taxes your first priority to get it out of the way.

So I just tried to file an extension online but it wont let me go through. It still asks for my husband’s ssn/itin. Smh

how can i do this? Plus im in the middle of collecting documents so i can send affidavit of support. Can i just use tax transcript 2017? I’ll be using a joint sponsor. Thanks again.

[Loren Y 2,756]

2 hours ago, AlexKissley said:

So I just tried to file an extension online but it wont let me go through. It still asks for my husband’s ssn/itin. Smh

how can i do this? Plus im in the middle of collecting documents so i can send affidavit of support. Can i just use tax transcript 2017? I’ll be using a joint sponsor. Thanks again.

Didn't know about that. I'll try and call him later today and ask. I am not sure if you just need an extension if you have to file MFS/ or MFJ. Maybe you just request the extension for yourself, like you were filing single, because when you go to actually file for the year you will be filing a paper return anyway. It is only a little before midnight here, I'll see in about 8 hours if I can get a hold of him and ask this question.

[Loren Y 2,756]

2 hours ago, AlexKissley said:

So I just tried to file an extension online but it wont let me go through. It still asks for my husband’s ssn/itin. Smh

how can i do this? Plus im in the middle of collecting documents so i can send affidavit of support. Can i just use tax transcript 2017? I’ll be using a joint sponsor. Thanks again.

I just found this with a quick google search, and it says it doesn't lock you into a filing status when you request an extension, so you may be able to just do it for yourself and fix it when you file later. says you both need an extension in this example off the turbo tax question and answer guide, but he doesn't technicly need to file yet, so I think if you select single on the extension you can change it when you actually file. I was hoping to make this easy for you, I will let you know..

An extension will not lock you into a filing status, but be sure you have a paper copy of both extensions you filed, in case there is an issue with the IRS because you filed under a single extension.

If you expect a refund, it will not matter which extension you file under, as the penalty for failure to file is based on the balance you owe, and if you do not owe, there is no penalty.

If you owe, be sure you have paid in as good of an estimate as you can by April 17, 2018.  The extension is for time to file, not time to pay.