In general, resident aliens are taxed just like U.S. citizens. You would list a resident-alien spouse on your return and provide his or her Social Security number (SSN). If your spouse is not eligible for a Social Security number, he or she will need to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the IRS.
If your spouse is a nonresident alien, you can treat your spouse as a resident alien for tax purposes. If you choose this option, you can file a joint tax return with your spouse and have an increased standard deduction. You increase your standard deduction, but all your spouse's worldwide income will be taxed by the United States. If you do not choose this option you may be able to use the head of household filing status as long as you have paid more than half the cost of maintaining a household for certain dependents or relatives other than your nonresident alien spouse.
To apply for an ITIN, complete IRS Form W-7, IRS Application for Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. The Form W-7 requires documentation substantiating foreign/alien status and true identity for each individual.
TurboTax doesn't include Form W-7, so you'll have to download it directly from the IRS, fill it in, and print it out (see these IRS instructions for help with that).
Complete your return as you normally would. Leave the applicant's Social Security Number field blank, and disregard any warnings about the empty field or missing health care info for the applicant.
- When your return is finished, go to the File section and print your return, as you won't be able to e-file with a missing Social Security Number.
- Bring your printed, signed return (along with any attachments per the filing instructions, such as W-2s or 1099s), the completed W-7, proof of identity, and foreign status documents to your acceptance agent or an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.
You can also mail everything to:
Internal Revenue Service
Austin Service Center
ITIN Operation
P.O. Box 149342
Austin, TX 78714-9342
Learn more about ITINs at IRS.gov.
-for additional information on W-7 follow this link-
What is Form W-7: Application for IRS Individual ... - TurboTax
