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I am a first time filer. I live in the Netherlands. I am married but my wife is a Dutch citizen and files her own taxes. Do we still need to file together? Does she need to be involved in this?

 
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I am a first time filer. I live in the Netherlands. I am married but my wife is a Dutch citizen and files her own taxes. Do we still need to file together? Does she need to be involved in this?

As a US citizen or US resident alien you are required to report your worldwide income on a federal tax return.

If you were legally married as of 12/31/2016 you can only file your tax return as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.  If your spouse does not have a Social Security number or an ITIN and you will not be applying for an ITIN for your spouse then you must file as Married Filing Separately.  You will not be able to e-file the tax return but must print and mail the return to the IRS.  In the Form 1040 box for entering the Spouse's Social Security number you will have to write in NRA (non-resident alien).  

Using TurboTax and having indicated that you are married but Not filing the return with your spouse, when requested to enter the spouse's Social Security number either enter all 9's or your own SS number and change the last four digits.  When the Form 1040 is printed you would then erase the SS number that was entered or use white-out to remove the erroneous number.

See this IRS website for information about an ITIN - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin

See this IRS Publication 54 Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p54.pdf

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I am a first time filer. I live in the Netherlands. I am married but my wife is a Dutch citizen and files her own taxes. Do we still need to file together? Does she need to be involved in this?

As a US citizen or US resident alien you are required to report your worldwide income on a federal tax return.

If you were legally married as of 12/31/2016 you can only file your tax return as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.  If your spouse does not have a Social Security number or an ITIN and you will not be applying for an ITIN for your spouse then you must file as Married Filing Separately.  You will not be able to e-file the tax return but must print and mail the return to the IRS.  In the Form 1040 box for entering the Spouse's Social Security number you will have to write in NRA (non-resident alien).  

Using TurboTax and having indicated that you are married but Not filing the return with your spouse, when requested to enter the spouse's Social Security number either enter all 9's or your own SS number and change the last four digits.  When the Form 1040 is printed you would then erase the SS number that was entered or use white-out to remove the erroneous number.

See this IRS website for information about an ITIN - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin

See this IRS Publication 54 Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p54.pdf

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