ITIN for the IRS

[Basketball478 0]

Hello everyone!

 

I am in the process of getting a spouse visa for my wife from the Philippines. We recently received the NOA1 in April of this year. We were married in the Philippines in December of last year. When I originally filed my taxes I was told I could file as single since my wife isn't in the US and doesn't have a ssn or ITIN. I was recently told by my immigration lawyer that I need to amend my taxes for last year to married instead of single. I am in the process of trying to get an ITIN for my wife but we have had a roadblock. I know I need to get a Certified True Copy of her passport to file along with the ITIN application. I don't want her to mail me her passport. We aren't sure how to get a CTC for her in the Philippines. She recently had a new passport issued with her new married name from the DFA in Butuan City. Their online passport registration system doesn't allow for a CTC option. We have tried calling of the phone number listed on their website for the office and they are disconnected. I even tried calling the DFA office in Manila and had no luck. We have tried reaching out to there Facebook page and haven't heard back. My wife emailed their office over a week ago and she hasn't heard back from that either. The San Francisco consulate in the US hasn't been any help. Basically we don't know who else to reach out too.

 

We are trying to determine if she needs to have an appointment and how to make one for the CTC or if it is just walkins. We also need to know what she needs to bring with her to the office. It would also be nice to know if she can get multiple CTC's to send to me in the mail in case there are any issues filing her ITIN application. She lives about 5 hours away from Butuan by bus so we are trying to get all of this information ahead of time so she doesn't waste her time or money traveling. 

 

Does anyone have experience getting CTC's from the Philippines? My apologies if I posted this in the wrong area. 

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

you can submit a translated certified copy of the passport profile page/  same translation you submitted for immigration along with the English certified copy of your marriage license(include copy of both in her language)

Edited June 2, 2019 by adil-rafa

[Basketball478 0]

It's okay if the copy of her passport profile page and the certified copy of the marriage license is a scan? Everything I presented to my lawyer that filed for the visa used a scan of her passport page and a scan of the marriage license. I was told I needed to have the actual Certified True Copy of the passport sent by mail from the Philippines instead of just a scan of any of the documents.

 

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to Tax & Finances During US Immigration forum.

[Crazy Cat 41,850]

It's good to hear that an attorney is giving accurate tax filing information.  If married at the end of a tax year, one can not legally file as single.....

[Wuozopo 4,293]

3 hours ago, foxthor11 said:

I know I need to get a Certified True Copy of her passport to file along with the ITIN application. I don't want her to mail me her passport. We aren't sure how to get a CTC for her in the Philippines.

Taxpayers residing outside of the United States can apply for an ITIN through a certifying acceptance agent. Taxpayers residing outside of the United States can now apply for an ITIN using a certifying acceptance agent. See Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) for more information. 

 

 

Are either of these Acceptance Agents in the Phils convenient to her location?

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/acceptance-agents-philippines

 

It isn't clear if they are Certifying Acceptance Agents. They could be called on the phone and asked. 

 

Acceptance Agent (AA). An Acceptance Agent (AA) can help you complete and file Form W-7. To get a list of agents, visit IRS.gov and enter “acceptance agent program” in the search box. An AA will need to submit original documentation or certified copies of the documentation from the issuing agency to the IRS for all applicants.

 

Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA). A Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) can verify original documentation and certified copies of the documentation from the issuing agency for primary and secondary applicants and their dependents. For dependents, CAAs can only verify passports and birth certificates. The CAA will return the documentation immediately after reviewing its authenticity. Taxpayers residing outside of the United States can apply for an ITIN through a CAA. 

[Basketball478 0]

Thank you Wuozopo for the information. My wife is in Bislig City on the island of Mindanao. Both of those Acceptance Agents are on the other side of the Philippines near Manila. 

[carmel34 3,626]

I just went through this to file 2018 taxes as married filing jointly.  Read the instructions for the W-7 very carefully.  If you don't want to mail the passport, she will have to physically appear either at a CAA or a US Consulate to verify that the passport copy is true.  If traveling to do that is not an option, you can file as married separately for 2018.  You can also file an amended return later whenever she gets a SSN.  My husband and I filed our 2018 tax return as married jointly with a W-7 attached while we were in London together a few weeks ago, using the services of a CAA who came to Heathrow Airport to meet us before our flights home, to verify his passport so he didn't have to mail it.  You may be able to find a CAA in the Philippines who will travel to where she is, for a fee and travel expenses.  Good luck!  

[jan22 3,055]

15 hours ago, carmel34 said:

I just went through this to file 2018 taxes as married filing jointly.  Read the instructions for the W-7 very carefully.  If you don't want to mail the passport, she will have to physically appear either at a CAA or a US Consulate to verify that the passport copy is true.  If traveling to do that is not an option, you can file as married separately for 2018.  You can also file an amended return later whenever she gets a SSN.  My husband and I filed our 2018 tax return as married jointly with a W-7 attached while we were in London together a few weeks ago, using the services of a CAA who came to Heathrow Airport to meet us before our flights home, to verify his passport so he didn't have to mail it.  You may be able to find a CAA in the Philippines who will travel to where she is, for a fee and travel expenses.  Good luck!  

A US consulate cannot verify or provide a certified true copy of a foreign passport.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, jan22 said:

A US consulate cannot verify or provide a certified true copy of a foreign passport.

I agree. It's pretty much send the real passport now If abroad because the rules got very strict in 2018. Maybe if the passport issuing agency of the foreign government would certify it, but I haven't read of a lot of success with that. There's many more options if in the US.

[saladboye 166]

23 hours ago, foxthor11 said:

Hello everyone!

 

I am in the process of getting a spouse visa for my wife from the Philippines. We recently received the NOA1 in April of this year. We were married in the Philippines in December of last year. When I originally filed my taxes I was told I could file as single since my wife isn't in the US and doesn't have a ssn or ITIN. I was recently told by my immigration lawyer that I need to amend my taxes for last year to married instead of single. I am in the process of trying to get an ITIN for my wife but we have had a roadblock. I know I need to get a Certified True Copy of her passport to file along with the ITIN application. I don't want her to mail me her passport. We aren't sure how to get a CTC for her in the Philippines. She recently had a new passport issued with her new married name from the DFA in Butuan City. Their online passport registration system doesn't allow for a CTC option. We have tried calling of the phone number listed on their website for the office and they are disconnected. I even tried calling the DFA office in Manila and had no luck. We have tried reaching out to there Facebook page and haven't heard back. My wife emailed their office over a week ago and she hasn't heard back from that either. The San Francisco consulate in the US hasn't been any help. Basically we don't know who else to reach out too.

 

We are trying to determine if she needs to have an appointment and how to make one for the CTC or if it is just walkins. We also need to know what she needs to bring with her to the office. It would also be nice to know if she can get multiple CTC's to send to me in the mail in case there are any issues filing her ITIN application. She lives about 5 hours away from Butuan by bus so we are trying to get all of this information ahead of time so she doesn't waste her time or money traveling. 

 

Does anyone have experience getting CTC's from the Philippines? My apologies if I posted this in the wrong area. 

I think the immigration lawyer is suggesting that to show proof of joint finances.

 

The reason for that is for tax liability. If your spouse doesn't work or has income that doesn't need to be reported, you should know that you have no liability.

 

Unless you are having difficulty meeting the poverty requirement, I don't think it should be an issue. There are other ways to show joint finances: Additional user on Credit Cards, Add her has a beneficiary for financial institution in case you encounter death etc.

 

 

PS: ITIN application is pretty easy, one copy is just fine, you can take two if needed, My wife decided to get it certified at the consulate itself and got 2 copies, it was expensive tough, USD 50 per copy, 100 total...

 

Lastly you are loosing money on the table by not doing MFJ, I would definately ammend the return once you have her/his ssn

Edited June 3, 2019 by saladboye

[Basketball478 0]

Has anyone here actually mailed their original copy of their passport abroad? I was told to avoid doing that at all costs in case it becomes damaged, lost, or stolen.