Should I file as married filing seperately if I am married and my spouse has an ITIN but lives abroad? I support him financially and he has no other form of income

[DS30 · Accepted solution]

It depends but if your nonresident alien (NRA) spouse has no income from any sources worldwide (other than the support you provide), it would be more beneficial to file as married filings jointly. (Even if he is not living with you, you can still use your address as his address and for the health insurance section, since he would be considered exempt if not a US citizen and living outside the US).

Please review the information in the link - Married Filing Joinlty vs Married Filing Separately

If you decide to file married filing separately, you would be able to claim a personal exemption for him on your married filing separately tax return. Just go to the personal section and select all the options related to claiming your spousal exemption (See Screenshot)