You can either file married filing separately or married filing jointly and claim your children. To claim your spouse and children on your return you will have to complete a Form W-7 for each of them to apply for their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
If you want to file married filing jointly and apply for ITINs:
- Complete Form W-7 - IRS.gov (IRS -
W7 Instructions)
- Complete
your federal and state tax returns using the number 999-88-9999 in place
of a Social Security Number.
- Print
the tax returns and white-out the 999-88-9999 from the SSN field. Do not
attempt to e-file your return.
- Write
"Applying for ITIN; Application attached" next to the SSN
field.
- Mail
the signed federal return, the completed Form W-7, and all documentation
required by the Form W-7 (Alternatively, you may choose to take all this
information in-person to a local IRS office for processing.)
- If
you need to file a state tax return: Mail the signed state return and a
copy of Form W-7 to your state's regular filing address.
I strongly suggest that when your tax return is complete and printed and when you have your family passports and documentation together with the Forms W-7, that you make an appointment with IRS
Taxpayer
Assistance Center
to bring the return and documents with your family to their office so the IRS can verify their identity. That way you do not have to mail their documents.
If you are a US
citizen or 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 in TurboTax enter 999-88-9999. You can only print and mail your
tax return, it cannot be e-filed. When you print the tax return
"white out" the dummy Social Security number for your spouse and
manually enter NRA for non-resident
alien.
