@mariajcs wrote:
Spouses of diplomats can be filed as dependents when abroad.
Submitting married and filing separately still required a SSN or ITIN which he didn't have at the time.
No, Not for tax purposes on a a US tax return, a spouse can never be a dependent.
If you are a US citizen or US resident and your spouse does not have a Social Security number or an ITIN and you are not applying for an ITIN with the tax return then you can only file your tax return as Married Filing Separately. Where asked to enter the spouse's Social Security number enter 999-88-9999. You can only print and mail your tax return, it cannot be e-filed. When you print the tax return erase the Social Security number for your spouse and manually enter NRA for non-resident alien.
See this TurboTax support FAQ for the procedure to print and mail a tax return using the online editions - https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/printers-printing/print-mail-return-turb...
If you decide to file your tax return as Married Filing Jointly you must apply for an ITIN with the tax return and you would need to be providing a statement with your tax return that you want your Nonresident Alien Spouse Treated as a Resident. See IRS Publication 54 Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad page 9 - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p54.pdf
Go to this IRS website for ITIN information - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/general-itin-information
