Hello I am a natural born citazin and my wife is thai. She doesn't have a SSN # yet.She has been here in the states with me for 8 months. My question is how do I claim her on my tax return to get the best deduction? Thank you


Gre4gg Blevins

US navy

You can't. It would be very messed up if you were allowed to. Why don't you make her legal?

Can I assume this is for the US??

If so, she does not have a SS number but is she a citizen ?

If she is citizen, then she needs to apply for and get a SS card, it does not take that long to apply and get one.

If she is not a citizen, she needs to be come one.

Next you don't claim a wife as a dependent, you can merely file married, instead of either married filing jointly.or some other filing status

Gregg:

Believe I answered this via e-mail. Here is the text of that e-mail:

What is involved is actually rather simple, however. You must complete Form W-7 (which can be downloaded from www.irs.gov) and mail it (along with a notarized photocopy of your wife's passport) to the IRS at the address in the W-7 instructions WITH your 2006 tax return. The W-7 is an application for an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), which can be substituted for the SSN for tax returns and other official uses until she qualifies for a SSN.

You put your wife's name under yours on the tax return, leaving the SSN area BLANK. Your filing status is Married Filing Jointly, as your wife should be opting to be treated as a resident alien (most advantageous way to file if she is not working).

The IRS will review the application, issue the ITIN, insert it where her SSN would be on the tax return, process the return, then send her the ITIN in a separate correspondence to the address on the tax return. Once you receive her ITIN, you can then file your state tax return. The process takes about six weeks during tax season.