Tax returns for stay at home mom

[Yenata 1]

Hi,I’m about to submit my N400 and I have an issue with tax returns information. I never worked since I became a permanent resident and for the pas 5 years am a stay at home mom. I’m married to US citizen. So what tax returns should I submit? My husbands? And if he has only for the past two years (instead of three), is it critical? Should I wait until he submits late taxes or can I bring this info to the interview? 

[OldUser 6,633]

5 minutes ago, Yenata said:

Hi,I’m about to submit my N400 and I have an issue with tax returns information. I never worked since I became a permanent resident and for the pas 5 years am a stay at home mom. I’m married to US citizen. So what tax returns should I submit? My husbands? And if he has only for the past two years (instead of three), is it critical? Should I wait until he submits late taxes or can I bring this info to the interview? 

Do you file taxes jointly?

If yes, submit them.

You need taxes for the past 5 years if filing under 5 year rule and 3 years if filing under 3 year rule.

If $0 was the income for some years, tax should still be filed.

 

Don't give USCIS an easy way to send you RFE / deny your case.

 

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by OldUser

[Yenata 1]

1 minute ago, OldUser said:

Do you file taxes jointly?

If yes, submit them.

You need taxes for the past 5 years.

If $0 was the income for some years, tax should still be filed.

Yes,he filed jointly. 
i need tax returns for the last 3 years (as a married to US citizen). But my question was if I can submit for the past 2 and bring info about 3rd year to the interview. He is past due and now working on it with accountant but it take so much time. Should I wait until he files that missing year or submit just past 2 years?

[OldUser 6,633]

3 minutes ago, Yenata said:

Yes,he filed jointly. 
i need tax returns for the last 3 years (as a married to US citizen). But my question was if I can submit for the past 2 and bring info about 3rd year to the interview. He is past due and now working on it with accountant but it take so much time. Should I wait until he files that missing year or submit just past 2 years?

You may be issued an RFE for missing year, which can slow down your case.

At the same time, if you delay filing, that's not much better than RFE.

 

It's up you. If filing taxes takes a week or two, I'd wait. But if it takes long time, then file as is. RFEs can add from few more weeks to several months in additional processing time.

[Yenata 1]

1 minute ago, OldUser said:

You may be issued an RFE for missing year, which can slow down your case.

At the same time, if you delay filing, that's not much better than RFE.

 

It's up you. If filing taxes takes a week or two, I'd wait. But if it takes long time, then file as is. RFEs can add from few more weeks to several months in additional processing time.

Thank you

[nastra30 2,284]

19 hours ago, Yenata said:

So what tax returns should I submit? My husbands?

Actually since you file jointly it's both you and your husband's return. It doesn't belong to your husband only even if your income is 0.

[JeanneAdil 6,491]

By time of interview ,  2023 returns will be needed

[Pbl 192]

This is what I would do: submit my N400 application online with all the documentation I currently have and then, once the latest tax returns documents are ready, I would add them to the application.

 

When I submitted my N400 application, I kept feeding the system with more updated documents as I received them (I did this twice while I waited for the interview).

[JMPM 507]

When I went to the combo interview for my wife. The lady only had one question for me since she saw that I submitted our taxes jointly. She wanted to know if I paid my 2020 taxes as we got a paper audit that wanted us to pay an extreme amount but I appealed it took 18 months of back and forth to resolve. 

 

If I didn't have that issue she said she would have waived the interview for me since I had solid relationship evidence she enjoyed our photos with our child in various national parks. 

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

42 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

By time of interview ,  2023 returns will be needed

Not necessarily true, considering an interview could easily occur before April 2024. 

[Yenata 1]

1 hour ago, Pbl said:

This is what I would do: submit my N400 application online with all the documentation I currently have and then, once the latest tax returns documents are ready, I would add them to the application.

 

When I submitted my N400 application, I kept feeding the system with more updated documents as I received them (I did this twice while I waited for the interview).

Thank you. So I can add documents after submitting the N400? I thought you can’t or it will delay the case. 
I also want to clarify some things: I’m a residents since 2016 and married to US citizen since 2016…so talking about missing files taxes,I’m talking about 2020, because it was COVID times and my husband didn’t filed then (as I figured it out recently)..so now he is figuring things out but it takes time and would like to apply now,before the holidays and elections. 

[JeanneAdil 6,491]

1 hour ago, beloved_dingo said:

Not necessarily true, considering an interview could easily occur before April 2024. 

within 7 months ?

very doubtful

[Yenata 1]

11 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

within 7 months ?

very doubtful

I wouldn’t say so. My friends received invitation with it 3-4 months this year. And it’s not the only one case 

[mam521 2,062]

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

within 7 months ?

very doubtful

Nope.  I submitted in January, naturalized in April.  I'm not alone.  Some centers are moving VERY quickly now.  

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

within 7 months ?

very doubtful

Many (maybe even most?) N-400s are processed to completion in 6 months or less now. My husband filed 1/27 and became a citizen on 5/10 - just 104 days.

Edited September 14, 2023 by beloved_dingo