Best Filing Status

[ezagustin]

Hi TurboTax advisors,

Me and my wife got married in June 2019. I'm a little confused as to which filing status I need to choose because this is the first time that I'll be filing as married. I am a U.S. citizen while my wife is a Filipino citizen (has B1/B2 visa only so she's a non-resident of the U.S.). She's living and working in the Philippines for the entire year of 2019. Can you please recommend the best filing status for me?

Thank you in advance,

Ash

[MaryK4]

Usually a U.S. citizen married to a nonresident alien spouse files Married Filing Separately (MFS). 

You could also  make an election to treat your nonresident spouse as a U.S. resident for tax purposes and file a Joint return.

[ezagustin]

If I am filing separately, do I still need to get an ITIN for her?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

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@ezagustin wrote:

If I am filing separately, do I still need to get an ITIN for her?

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If you are a US citizen or US 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 enter 999-88-9999.  You can only print and mail your tax return, it cannot be e-filed.  When you print the tax return erase the Social Security number for your spouse and manually enter NRA for non-resident alien.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for the procedure to print and mail a tax return using the online editions - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1944348-how-do-i-print-and-mail-my-return-in-turbotax-online

[ezagustin]

Hello @DoninGA and @MaryK4 ! Follow-up question to both of you. My NRA wife didn't earn any income in the US and she's been living and working in a foreign country for the entire year of 2019. Based on your replies, I need to file as "Married Filing Separately". In that case, I do not need to apply for an ITIN for my NRA spouse to be able to file MFS, correct?

Also, do you know if I need to attach anything with my return aside from the usual W-2 and 1099? Sorry, this is the first time I am filing by mail and as married.

Thank you so much for your help!

[DoninGA]

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@ezagustin wrote:

Hello @DoninGA and @MaryK4 ! Follow-up question to both of you. My NRA wife didn't earn any income in the US and she's been living and working in a foreign country for the entire year of 2019. Based on your replies, I need to file as "Married Filing Separately". In that case, I do not need to apply for an ITIN for my NRA spouse to be able to file MFS, correct?

Also, do you know if I need to attach anything with my return aside from the usual W-2 and 1099? Sorry, this is the first time I am filing by mail and as married.

Thank you so much for your help!

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No, you do not need to apply for an ITIN for her if you are going to file as Married Filing Separately.

There is nothing you need to send with your tax return concerning your NRA spouse.