Foreign Account

[Swadesfan 125]

First of all, thank you to all members of Visa Journey for providing great information and helping each other out during the immigration process.

I am filing my tax return for 2018 as married filing separately as my wife doesn’t have the SSN or ITIN.

When we married last year, we added my name to the my wife’s account when I was there to show the joint bank account. I am guessing that I needed to say “yes” to the part asking about Foreign accounts and Financial Assets. I also think that this applies to me: “Financial Interest in or signature authority over a foreign financial account of any size” as I have joint account.

Does anyone have any idea to if I should say Yes or No to this questions? Or I am overthinking this?

Thank you for your help.

Fellow Nebraska Filer…Waiting forever…..

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

1at of all why not apply for ITIN

 

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/nonresident-alien-spous

 

she fills out the W7

and you provide marriage certificate and proof of her ID

[Swadesfan 125]

Thank you for the response. I didn’t know that I could apply for the ITIN number concurrently with the tax return. If we go that route, she has to fill out the W-7, sign it and return to me before the April 15^th, correct? Also, I don’t have any certified copy of her passport. She needs to send that to me along with completed W-7. She just got new passport due to the name change. She can scan the required pages and send them to me but I don't think that the IRS will accept scanned/printed as they are not qualify as certified.

 

I was going to fill out MFS and then later amend the tax return when she gets here with her SSN, hopefully be the end of the year.