You can file a joint tax return if you are a U.S. citizen and are married to a nonresident spouse. And you can use TurboTax and file a regular Form 1040. Your wife will be treated as a resident alien, meaning all your joint worldwide income is taxable to the U.S.
Your spouse can claim the foreign earned income exclusion.
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
If you file an extension, the IRS will charge interest on any unpaid tax unless you make an extension payment so you should figure your tax with your wife’s income before filing an extension, so simply pay the interest.
If you make this choice to include your wife, the following rules apply:
- You and your spouse are treated, for federal income tax purposes, as U.S residents for all tax years that the choice is in effect. However, for Social Security and Medicare tax withholding purposes, the nonresident alien may still be treated as a nonresident alien. Refer to Aliens Employed in the U.S. – Social Security Taxes.
- You must file a joint income tax return for the year you make the choice (but you and your spouse can file joint or separate returns in later years).
- Each spouse must report his or her entire worldwide income for the year you make the choice and for all later years unless the choice is ended or suspended.
- Generally, neither you nor your spouse can claim tax treaty benefits as a resident of a foreign country for a tax year for which the choice is in effect. However, the exception to the saving clause of a tax treaty might allow a tax treaty benefit on certain specified income.
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