In
order to claim your Non-Resident Spouse or your Children on your Tax Return
they must apply for an ITIN with the IRS. To apply for an ITIN you will send in
your tax return with your ITIN Application Form W7 in the mail. Once the ITIN
numbers are issued, the IRS will include this information with your tax return
and then process your return.
Below
are the steps you must take in TurboTax to file your return through the U.S.
Postal Service along with an application for an ITIN (W7).
- When you enter your Personal
Info leave your spouse's SSN blank and print a paper copy of your tax
return.
- skip error check section if
only error is missing SSN for spouse.
- under the file tab, you will
need to select "file by mail" and print a copy of your federal
income tax return.
Now
that you are done on TurboTax, you must
download and complete for W7 and follow the instructions below:
Fill out form IRS Form W7. Click here;IRS Form W7 to go to the IRS page for a PDF of this form.
- If your spouse is a
nonresident alien, you will need to attach a statement to your joint
return signed by both you and your spouse only for the first tax year in
which the choice applies. It should contain the following information:
- A declaration that one
spouse was a non-resident alien and the other spouse a U.S. citizen or
resident alien on the last day of your 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.
- attach a copy of your Form
W-7 (along with the necessary supporting documents) to your tax return.
Supporting Documents must prove Foreign Status and Identity. Documents
that provide both may be:
Foreign Passport, USCIS Photo Identification, Visa Issued by
U.S. Dept. of State, Foreign Military Identification Card, National
Identification Card, Foreign Voter's Registration Card (if it contains a
photograph).
For a Complete list of Supporting Documents please Click
here Instructions
W7
Once you have completed form W7 and all required documentation,
mail your tax return along with your declaration statement, Form W-7 and
supporting documents to the IRS.
You are filing your tax return as an attachment to your (ITIN) application, you should not mail your return to the
address listed in the Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ instructions. Instead, send
your return, Form W-7 and proof of identity and foreign status documents
to:
Internal Revenue Service
Austin Service Center
ITIN Operation
P.O. Box 149342
Austin, TX 78714-9342
You may also apply using the services of an IRS-authorized Acceptance
Agent or visit some key IRS Taxpayer
Assistance Center in lieu of mailing your
information to the IRS in Austin
- State
filing
- You will want to file an extension for your state until you receive your
ITIN. This is because the application for your ITIN is a federal filing.
Most state will not process your return without either a SSN or an ITIN.
(However some states will accept state filings with W-7 attachments. You
will need to contact your state's Department of Revenue and ask if your
state will accept a state tax return with a Form W-7
attached).
When the IRS assigns you an ITIN, update your returns (both federal
and state) in TurboTax with this new information and then you should be
able to e-file your state return.
Because many states give an automatic extension when you file the
federal extension Form 4868, just
file a federal extension even if you don't think you will need it for your
federal tax return. But check with your state's Department of
Revenue to make sure that your state doesn't have a separate state
extension filing.
