@JDI21 wrote:
I have a follow-up question about this topic. If I decide to not file jointly with my non-resident spouse (I am a resident for tax purposes), and she does not earn any U.S. income, can I claim the standard deduction? I'm a bit scared that if I choose this option I'd be doing something wrong or illegal.
If you are a US resident then when you file a tax return, married or single, you automatically receive the Standard Deduction on a US federal tax return. The Standard Deduction is always used unless Itemized Deduction are greater than the Standard Deduction for your filing status.
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/questions/1944348-how-do-i-print-and-mail-my-return-in-turbotax-online
