Hi Tax Experts,

I am holding H1-b visa and my wife is H4 visa status during 2006. Our baby born is Jan 2006 and Baby is US citizen. I am having following questions?

1) Which form Do I need to use for filing 2006 return and claim my wife and baby as a dependent?

Thank you very much,

Jiten

Jiten:

If you arrived in country prior to 1 January 2006, you should file jointly with your wife, filing either Form 1040A or 1040. You CANNOT claim your wife as a dependent, but filing jointly has the same effect AND allows you to claim a double standard deduction of $10,300.

If you arrived in country AFTER 1 January 2006, you can still file jointly with your wife as resident aliens, and I recommend you do so. If you choose NOT to file as resident aliens, then you must file a dual-status return. However, that is NOT advantageous for you, because you lose that double standard deduction of $10,300 if you file a dual-status return.

If you need my professional tax help, please contact me at [email protected].