J1/J2 visa: question about filing jointly

[FCarv]

Hello everyone,

I am entering my third year as a J-1 research scholar, along with my wife, who is a J-2 dependent. This year, I will be considered a resident for tax purposes. I have a couple of questions regarding the taxes I’ll need to file in 2026:

1. My wife does not work and has no income. Can we still file jointly in this case, or should I list her as my dependent?

2. We do not have any income sources outside the U.S. Will there be an option to state this when filling out the form?

I know these questions are for the future, but since it will be my first time using TurboTax, I want to make sure I have everything figured out as early as possible.

Thank you in advance!

[Bsch4477]

A spouse is never a dependent. Filing jointly is almost always the best filing status. TurboTax will ask if you have foreign accounts if appropriate. 

[FCarv]

Thanks! So, if we choose to file together and she does not have income: will I be able to give turbotax this information and enter only my income information?

We have closed our accounts in our home country, since we would not be using them for the duration of my program.

[Bsch4477]

Correct. File jointly and only enter your income if she has none. 

[FCarv]

Thank you very much for your help!