As you were only a part year resident of the US in 2019, you would be considered a dual-status resident, part year nonresident and part year resident which would entail filing a dual-status tax return.
However, since you are married, you can file a full year resident return with your spouse by attaching a signed statement to your return before filing.
If you are a dual-status alien, you can choose to be treated as a U.S. resident for the entire year if all of the following apply.
• You were a nonresident alien at the beginning of the year.
• You are a resident alien or U.S. citizen at the end of the year.
• You are married to a U.S. citizen or resident alien at the end of the year.
• Your spouse joins you in making the choice.
If you make this choice, the following rules apply.
• You and your spouse are treated as U.S. residents for the entire year for income tax purposes.
• You and your spouse are taxed on worldwide income.
• You and your spouse must file a joint return for the year of the choice.
Please see IRS Publication 519, page 8 for the wording you need to use for the statement you both sign and attach to your return. You can search for it on IRS.gov website. Please see the section on page 8, Making the choice. You will need to print and mail your return to the IRS with the statement attached. You cannot e-file.
As you will be filing as a full year resident, you must declare your worldwide income for the entire 2019 calendar year. You will need to declare your Polish wages at the beginning of 2019 and use foreign tax credit to help offset double taxation. See the below steps for entering your foreign wages and foreign tax in TurboTax.
To enter your Polish wages in TurboTax, you need to:
- Enter foreign earned income in the search bar at the top of the screen and click the Jump to link
- On the first screen it will ask you what form your foreign income was reported on, you need to check statement from my foreign employer (converted to USD)
- On the next screen enter your Foreign wages
- Continue through the screens answering the questions
- Then you will get the screen,Would you like to Try and Exclude Your Foreign Earned Income,
- Enter no ( the exclusion is only for US citizens and green card holders, which you were not when you earned the income)
- The program will tell you that form 2555 will be deleted, say OK
Now your foreign wages have been entered into the software.
- Type in foreign tax credit in the search bar at the top of the screen and click Jump to
- You will need to click through a number of screens about dividends and interest.
- When you get to the screen, Choose the Income Type, click on General Limitation income. This is the category for wages.
- Continue through all the rest of the screens entering the country and the foreign tax amount in the box Foreign Taxes on Other Income.
How do I print and mail my return in TurboTax online?
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