topic Re: F1 student in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

F1 student

Tax_question10 — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:25:55 GMT

I am on F1 visa here from 2017 and married to US citizen. we are filing jointly. Will I be considered a resident alien for tax purposed ONLY.

Re: F1 student

Opus 17 — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:33:58 GMT

The only way to file jointly is to make an election to be treated as a US resident for tax purposes. This means you must report and pay US tax on all your world-wide income, not just your US income. It's probably better in your situation to file jointly, but you need to work that out for yourselves.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/nonresident-alien-spouse

Re: F1 student

Tax_question10 — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:37:06 GMT

Yes, I am reporting all my worldwide income .

Re: F1 student

Tax_question10 — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 17:56:16 GMT

@Opus 17

in the above IRS link, this is mentioned

How to Make the Choice

Attach a statement, signed by both spouses, to your joint return for the first tax year for which the choice applies. It should contain the following information:

A declaration that one spouse was a nonresident alien and the other spouse a U.S. citizen or resident alien on the last day of the tax year, and that you choose to be treated as U.S. residents for the entire tax year
The name, address, and identification number of each spouse. (If one spouse died, include the name and address of the person making the choice for the deceased spouse.)

What is the identification number here? So given that we have to make a declaration for filing joint returns. Can we still efile for 2019.

Re: F1 student

Tax_question10 — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 18:01:49 GMT

@Opus 17

Thanks

the above IRS link mentions this

How to Make the Choice

Attach a statement, signed by both spouses, to your joint return for the first tax year for which the choice applies. It should contain the following information:

A declaration that one spouse was a nonresident alien and the other spouse a U.S. citizen or resident alien on the last day of the tax year, and that you choose to be treated as U.S. residents for the entire tax year
The name, address, and identification number of each spouse. (If one spouse died, include the name and address of the person making the choice for the deceased spouse.)

as we have to make a declaration that we are filing a joint tax return. can we still efile or send the returns by mail.

Re: F1 student

Opus 17 — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 19:22:13 GMT

If you want to include a statement you would have to file by mail, you can't (for now) attach documents to a tax return.

(This question mostly comes up for NRA spouses who are not students, so the taxpayer has to apply for an ITIN which means filing by mail anyway.)

Re: F1 student

Tax_question10 — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 20:27:03 GMT

we both US citizen and F1 student have an SSN can we file online.

thanks