File Joint Tax Return for the first time

[KM24]

Hi guys!

I have a question about filing a joint tax return for the first time. I got married this year in June and did not get my EAD yet but I have a SSN since I did an internship here until last August. I didn’t make enough money to pay any taxes but my husband still wants to file it together for this year.
Is there something special he has to consider since I’m not a legal resident yet?

Thankful for every tip/experiences

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hi guys!

I have a question about filing a joint tax return for the first time. I got married this year in June and did not get my EAD yet but I have a SSN since I did an internship here until last August. I didn’t make enough money to pay any taxes but my husband still wants to file it together for this year.
Is there something special he has to consider since I’m not a legal resident yet?

Thankful for every tip/experiences

It's an easy filing. You can use your SSN. Tax returns are also a great way to show evidence of bona fide marriage. Just use the free version of Turbo tax or any other software, and follow the prompts. You should be fine. You are married now. So your options are either married filing separately OR married filing jointly. Even if your income did not reach the threshold to be obligated to file taxes, you still should. Again, it will only play in your favor.

[KM24]

It's an easy filing. You can use your SSN. Tax returns are also a great way to show evidence of bona fide marriage. Just use the free version of Turbo tax or any other software, and follow the prompts. You should be fine. You are married now. So your options are either married filing separately OR married filing jointly. Even if your income did not reach the threshold to be obligated to file taxes, you still should. Again, it will only play in your favor.

Thank you so much! So just to confirm - I can use the SSN that was issued to me for my internship even though it’s over and the visa I had for it no longer valid?

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Thank you so much! So just to confirm - I can use the SSN that was issued to me for my internship even though it’s over and the visa I had for it no longer valid?

You are welcome! To be clear, yes, you would just enter your SSN. That is completely fine. Your SSN will not change once you get your EAD, Green Card or even once you naturalize. You will have the same SSN. Even though your visa is not valid, your SSN still exists.

My husband fell out of F-1 status before we filed for AOS. That same SSN worked when we filed Taxes, opened joint accounts, and even when I added him to my health insurance, Life insurance, etc.

You are good to go.

[WaitedLongEnough]

Hi guys!

I have a question about filing a joint tax return for the first time. I got married this year in June and did not get my EAD yet but I have a SSN since I did an internship here until last August. I didn’t make enough money to pay any taxes but my husband still wants to file it together for this year.
Is there something special he has to consider since I’m not a legal resident yet?

Thankful for every tip/experiences

Please speak with Tax Accountant ! I don’t think you can claim on your joint return with your husband income that you worked prior to obtaining your SSN. Your SSN can NOW be used to obtain a job and eventually file jointly next year.

Please note : Your husband can NOW claim you as his dependent so that you guys can file jointly. If you want to claim some income , yourself, please get a job and work these last 3/2 weeks (depending how soon you get a job) so that you will have something to put on the books.

If you were like me and had a ITIN and always claimed taxes that changes the whole story.

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you so much! So just to confirm - I can use the SSN that was issued to me for my internship even though it’s over and the visa I had for it no longer valid?

Wait , August 2017 or August 2018 ?

Also , do you have a NOA that your EAD has been approved ? Your SSN does not change but you want to get approved for your EAD first. I really strongly advise speaking with a tax accountant.

I sense that your husband should claim you as his dependent and you should not claim any income you worked under internship.

[KM24]

Please speak with Tax Accountant ! I don’t think you can claim on your joint return with your husband income that you worked prior to obtaining your SSN. Your SSN can NOW be used to obtain a job and eventually file jointly next year.

Please note : Your husband can NOW claim you as his dependent so that you guys can file jointly. If you want to claim some income , yourself, please get a job and work these last 3/2 weeks (depending how soon you get a job) so that you will have something to put on the books.

If you were like me and had a ITIN and always claimed taxes that changes the whole story.

- - - Updated - - -



Wait , August 2017 or August 2018 ?

Also , do you have a NOA that your EAD has been approved ? Your SSN does not change but you want to get approved for your EAD first. I really strongly advise speaking with a tax accountant.

I sense that your husband should claim you as his dependent and you should not claim any income you worked under internship.

Thanks for your answer but I think you understood me wrong. I was here on a J1 visa that expired Aug 18 and for that internship I got my SSN. My EAD has not been approved yet. We want to file jointly because my husband will pry get more money back since I depend on him and of course as additional proof for a bona fide marriage.

[WaitedLongEnough]

Thanks for your answer but I think you understood me wrong. I was here on a J1 visa that expired Aug 18 and for that internship I got my SSN. My EAD has not been approved yet. We want to file jointly because my husband will pry get more money back since I depend on him and of course as additional proof for a bona fide marriage.

Go ahead and file jointly, that’s 100% great and possible.
Him claiming you as a dependent means he will be taxed lower and therefore will be credited by the IRS at the end of the year (getting more money back as you mentioned)

You just cannot claim money earned as an intern while you and your husband rightly file your 2018 joint tax return. I suggest speaking with a tax account though. All the best.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Go ahead and file jointly, that’s 100% great and possible.
Him claiming you as a dependent means he will be taxed lower and therefore will be credited by the IRS at the end of the year (getting more money back as you mentioned)

You just cannot claim money earned as an intern while you and your husband rightly file your 2018 joint tax return. I suggest speaking with a tax account though. All the best.

You may not claim your spouse as your dependent. It is counterintuitive BUT ulitimately, if they file jointly, they will get a larger tax refund because only one of them had an income.

[WaitedLongEnough]

You may not claim your spouse as your dependent. It is counterintuitive BUT ulitimately, if they file jointly, they will get a larger tax refund because only one of them had an income.

I agree

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

I agree

Believe me... I TRIED. LOL but Turbo Tax disagreed.

[KM24]

Thanks to both of you!! Really appreciate it

[RIMB]

I am glad you asked the question cause I had the same question.I plan to use HRBlock this year to file with my husband. I think it will cost around $200, but it will advoid any mistake I may make.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

I am glad you asked the question cause I had the same question.I plan to use HRBlock this year to file with my husband. I think it will cost around $200, but it will advoid any mistake I may make.

It is so worth it, though. I got selected for indentity verification two years in a row. My genius employer decided to issue my W2s using my nickname. Let's same my name is Jose and I go by Joe, just to make everyone's life easier -including myself- in caucasian wonderland. So that triggered all kinds of security checks. It took months for them to review and bless the 2016 and 2017 federal tax return and refund. We filed jointly for 2017 and of course, that delayed our AOS submission.
Sure, we could have submitted our petition without the 2017 tax return but decided that a joint tax return would only play in our favor. So the second it was released in March 2018, we filed.

[RIMB]

It is so worth it, though. I got selected for indentity verification two years in a row. My genius employer decided to issue my W2s using my nickname. Let's same my name is Jose and I go by Joe, just to make everyone's life easier -including myself- in caucasian wonderland. So that triggered all kinds of security checks. It took months for them to review and bless the 2016 and 2017 federal tax return and refund. We filed jointly for 2017 and of course, that delayed our AOS submission.
Sure, we could have submitted our petition without the 2017 tax return but decided that a joint tax return would only play in our favor. So the second it was released in March 2018, we filed.

I am sorry to hear your employer messaged it up and triggered this extra identity verification process. It sounds painful. Honestly, messed up the preferred name and legal name is quite stupid. Either the payroll person did not use the exported spreadsheet or skip double check/verify process.

But It is smart that you guys waited for the joint tax return to file the AOS package, since USCIS put more weight on the joint tax return.

I have been filing with Turbo Tax from 2014-2016 using form 1040EZ (while I was a full-time student), but last year I learned that I should file 1040NR(Non-Resident) as F1 status. I used SprintTax( worst user experience among all tax software). They also recommend me to do a tax amendment for the past three years with IRS. I didn't do it. I feel that IRS does not look into that deep so long as you filed your tax.

So for 2018, I prefer to go through professional services and can get the amendment done if needed.