Hi,

I know that this question might have been answered already. But I couldn't find a proper answer anywhere. Here is my case.

I started working in US in April 2008 and got married in Nov 2008. My wife joined me here in US in March 2009. I would like to know:

Am I eligible to file my returns as married filing jointly and claim the standard deduction on 10K+ (keeping my wife as my dependent for the year of 2008, while she was not with me in US). Please help how can I do it.

Thanks,
Sajil

Yes, you can file joint return as residents. Both of you must declare your worldwide income for 2008. Read about H1 tax filing: Your U.S. Tax Return: The U.S. Visas (http://taxipay.blogspot.com/2008/08/us-visas.html)

Hi Mukata,

Thanks for the quick response. You people rocks. :)

Thanks,
Sajil