How to file taxes as a LPR married to USC

[Rocio0010 5,579]

Hello everyone! My husband is a USC and I am the LPR. Last season we filed taxes through a company, and they made us go like three different times for signatures, so it was a hassle. It was also costly. This year we are thinking about filing on our own, but I was just wanting to see if there’s a guide in visajourney on how to do this. I looked for YouTube videos but couldn’t find any.

Also our taxes should be pretty straightforward, with only w2s. Any help would be very much appreciated! 
 

Thank you, and stay safe.

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

I have not seen a VJ guide for filing taxes.  Taxes can be relatively simple or extremely complex....especially for immigrants.  A VJ guide would probably be impractical.  Programs like Turbotax (my favorite) are relatively simple if your taxes are as straight forward as you say.  They just ask questions and lead you through the process. Some of the online options are even free.  Good Luck....

[Rocio0010 5,579]

1 minute ago, Lucky Cat said:

I have not seen a VJ guide for filing taxes.  Taxes can be relatively simple or extremely complex....especially for immigrants.  A VJ guide would probably be impractical.  Programs like Turbotax (my favorite) are relatively simple if your taxes are as straight forward as you say.  They just ask questions and lead you through the process. Some of the online options are even free.  Good Luck....

Thank you! A couple of years ago (before I became a LPR) I used TurboTax and learned that it is only for USC (or that’s what I think!). Is it safe to use it? 

[JasonS1 51]

I used turbo tax to file my taxes in the US and I am on a TN visa (non immigrant work visa). I am an accountant. No issues with turbo tax, if you are a US resident for tax purposes the program will work fine. As an LPR it would be fine for you too, my wife and I will file jointly using it for 2020 taxes.  

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

5 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

Thank you! A couple of years ago (before I became a LPR) I used TurboTax and learned that it is only for USC (or that’s what I think!). Is it safe to use it? 

Yes, it is safe.  Taxes are the same for US citizens and LPRs. Your situation sounds like a simple joint tax return.  If your taxes are as straightforward as you claim, there should be no issues.  

Edited January 2, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

If I was doing my own taxes, TurboTax would be my choice.  But with my situation, it's easier to let my tax professional handle the tax return, my wife's FBAR, and asset reporting.

[JFH 12,190]

I’m an LPR and my husband is a USC. I’m the only earner in the household. I use the TurboTax app. Our taxes are very simple - no self-employment, no children, no overseas income or investments, no income from additional sources other than my employment, etc. It takes just a few minutes to enter the codes and figures from the W-2. I wouldn’t do it any other way for our situation. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by JFH

[Rocio0010 5,579]

3 minutes ago, JFH said:

I’m an LPR and my husband is a USC. I’m the only earner one the household. I use the TurboTax app. Our taxes are very simple - no self-employment, no children, no overseas income or investments, no income from additional sources other than my employment, etc. It takes just a few minutes to enter the codes and figures from the W-2. I wouldn’t do it any other way for our situation. 

Your situation is very similar to ours -the only difference is that we are both earners. No children, no self employment, no investments or income from foreign resources. Just the regular W-2 situation. So I’ll follow your advice and do it on our own. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

46 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

Hello everyone! My husband is a USC and I am the LPR. Last season we filed taxes through a company, and they made us go like three different times for signatures, so it was a hassle. It was also costly. This year we are thinking about filing on our own, but I was just wanting to see if there’s a guide in visajourney on how to do this. I looked for YouTube videos but couldn’t find any.

Also our taxes should be pretty straightforward, with only w2s. Any help would be very much appreciated! 
 

Thank you, and stay safe.

Yes you can use TurboTax to file jointly with your spouse.  I suggest TurboTax Deluxe which will have sales shortly at retailers. We like the desktop installation much better than TurboTax online. Even TurboTax Basic has allowed us to file with self-employment, many investments, and retirement incomes, but Deluxe version is more readily available and and often as cheap as Basic with sales. The program will try to upsell you more expensive versions or audit support. You don’t need it so decline. 
 

FBAR as mentioned earlier is not even part of a tax return. That’s if you have total foreign assets/accounts exceeding $10k and is a separate online report to the US Treasury. We do that ourselves as well.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

My LPR spouse and I used TurboTax up until last year, when it was asking us to upgrade for a service that H&R Block let us use for free. Something related to an HSA he had through his place of work, I don’t remember 100%.
 

Either way, both were really user-friendly, I recommend!

[Adventine 3,196]

15 hours ago, Lucky Cat said:

If I was doing my own taxes, TurboTax would be my choice.  But with my situation, it's easier to let my tax professional handle the tax return, my wife's FBAR, and asset reporting.

Hi @Lucky Cat, I recall you mentioning some time back that your wife kept assets in Taiwan. If you don't mind me asking, were those simple savings/checking accounts, or did she retain stock and bond investments domiciled in Taiwan, too?

 

Asking as I am also researching how to file taxes with my future spouse, and I read that it can get really complicated if there are non-US domiciled investments involved (source: US tax pitfalls for a non-US person moving to the US - Bogleheads)

Edited January 3, 2021 by Adventine

[Orangesapples 1,954]

15 hours ago, ra0010 said:

Thank you! A couple of years ago (before I became a LPR) I used TurboTax and learned that it is only for USC (or that’s what I think!). Is it safe to use it? 

What? No, definitely not. We've been filing with Turbo Tax even before I got my green card. Zero issues. But it's getting pricey, so I don't know if I'd recommend it. 

 

15 hours ago, Lucky Cat said:

I have not seen a VJ guide for filing taxes.  Taxes can be relatively simple or extremely complex....especially for immigrants.  A VJ guide would probably be impractical.  Programs like Turbotax (my favorite) are relatively simple if your taxes are as straight forward as you say.  They just ask questions and lead you through the process. Some of the online options are even free.  Good Luck....

I don't think taxes are more complex for LPRs than citizens. The rules are the same. The immigrant might have foreign assets but a US citizen might have that, too. I don't think there's a difference in this case based on citizenship.

 

15 hours ago, JFH said:

I’m an LPR and my husband is a USC. I’m the only earner in the household. I use the TurboTax app. Our taxes are very simple - no self-employment, no children, no overseas income or investments, no income from additional sources other than my employment, etc. It takes just a few minutes to enter the codes and figures from the W-2. I wouldn’t do it any other way for our situation. 

Ours are also easy but with a little more stuff and Turbo Tax made it easy to itemize still. 

[Free Man 119]

 Credit Karama offer free tax filing, very easy and straight forward, e.g do you have W2, did u received unemployment benefits,  do u own a house, do you  have HSA , do you own a house, once u answer all these, the system generate the necessary forms and you fill in the information.  I used it for 3 years now, my Wife and I have complicated taxes but credit karam have it all for free( am an accountant) so I also know tax rules. 

Will definitely recommend credit Karama 

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

6 hours ago, Adventine said:

Hi @Lucky Cat, I recall you mentioning some time back that your wife kept assets in Taiwan. If you don't mind me asking, were those simple savings/checking accounts, or did she retain stock and bond investments domiciled in Taiwan, too?

 

Asking as I am also researching how to file taxes with my future spouse, and I read that it can get really complicated if there are non-US domiciled investments involved (source: US tax pitfalls for a non-US person moving to the US - Bogleheads)

My wife has saving accounts, bond funds, insurance certificates, and pension fund holdings there.  Since those all generate income during the year, she has to calculate the generated income, highest balances, and end-of-year balances lists for us to report her income, FBAR, and foreign assets.

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

6 hours ago, Orangesapples said:

I don't think taxes are more complex for LPRs than citizens. The rules are the same. The immigrant might have foreign assets but a US citizen might have that, too. I don't think there's a difference in this case based on citizenship

Yes, the rules are the same.  I was referring to the resident/non-resident aspect for first year immigrants, FBAR, and calculating income from foreign source which some immigrants have to do.  But you are right, there is no difference in the rules for citizens.