If you are an American Living Abroad and are married to a non-US citizen, don’t let your taxes confuse you.
As a US citizen you may file a joint tax return with a non citizen if you both choose to treat the spouse as a resident on all Expat Taxes from hereon out. This has some drawbacks, but the advantages greatly out weigh it.
A disadvantage to this is that the non-US spouse’s income will now be taxed, however, an advantage is that the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion can be doubled. To do this, you must obtain a Tax ID Number.To get a TIN you must apply with the IRS using form W-7. This takes some time, so it’s important to apply a few months before filing your tax returns to make sure you have it in time.
If you have any questions or want to clarify any requirements please contact us.
