Hi,
I am in USA since Aug 2009, I recently got married in March 2011. My wife is going to stay with me till June 2011 and she will go back to India to resume her job.
What should be my filing status for 2011-12? As single or married?

If you are here on a F-1 or J-1 visa, you will likely file as a non-resident alien and claim your wife as a dependent.

If you are here on a work visa, you will file jointly with her. THAT will necessitate that she declare her Indian income, but double taxation will be avoided by claiming the Foreign Tax Credit for the Indian income taxes that she is paying. In either case, she will need to get an ITIN, so make several photocopies of her passport picture page and get those photocopies notarized HERE in the United States while she is here. It is MUCH easier to get that done here than doing a similar operation in India.

If you need professional help filing your return, email me at [email protected] or [email protected].

If you are here on a F-1 or J-1 visa, you will likely file as a non-resident alien and claim your wife as a dependent.

If you are here on a work visa, you will file jointly with her. THAT will necessitate that she declare her Indian income, but double taxation will be avoided by claiming the Foreign Tax Credit for the Indian income taxes that she is paying. In either case, she will need to get an ITIN, so make several photocopies of her passport picture page and get those photocopies notarized HERE in the United States while she is here. It is MUCH easier to get that done here than doing a similar operation in India.

If you need professional help filing your return, email me at [email protected] or [email protected].


Thanks for this clarification. One more help I needed was filing the new W4 form.
1) Line B should be 0 or 1?
(You are married, have only one job, and your spouse does not work)
Does working means just working in US?
2) Line C should be 0 or 1?
3) Do I need to fill "Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet" section?