Hi ATE,
I read several of your postings and I really appreciate your professional knowledge and your kindly helping everyone here. I did some research myself and I would like to ask your help to solve some of my questions.
My status is:
OPT: 06/01/2005 - 05/31/2006
H1: start at 11/1/2005
Started work: 9/1/2005
My salary is: $20,800
My husband is on his H1 during entire 2005.
My husbands salary is: $42,500
My question are:
1. Should we file jointly, both treated as alien residents or we should file separately, with his status as alien residents but my status as NR or dual status? What do you think will benefit us more?
2. My husband paid MBA tuition in 2005. Can we count total expense in form1040 p1. Line 34 "Tuition and Fees deduction" to be a subtraction of our AGI? If we can, we can do this only when we file jointly, right?
3. I started to work from 9/1/2005. My H1 is valid from 11/03/2005 to 10/01/2008 according to the I129 notice from USCIS. I went back to my hometown with my F1 (OPT) visa and re-entered in Feb 2006 with new H1 visa. Should I say my H1 start from 11/03/2005 but not the date I came back from my hometown with my new visa, right? Could you advise?
Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing back from you :D
LiLiCoCo