How should I fill out W-4?
Jun 15th 2004, 4:41 am
#16
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Re: How should I fill out W-4?
Originally posted by jeffreyhy
Rene,
You're paranoid.
Like Buendia, my wife and I filed a joint tax return for 2003 even though she was still in her country waiting for my I-129f petition to be approved.
As to your accountant telling you that it's OK to continue withholding as single when you're married, well... it is OK but I wonder why he's not advising you to withhold as married filing jointly so that you can keep more of your money in your own pocket.
I provided my accountant with a statement of my wife's foreign earnings for last year and he put them on line 21 of our 1040 as 'Other Income'. I now have a new accountant.
Regards, JEff
Rene,
You're paranoid.
Like Buendia, my wife and I filed a joint tax return for 2003 even though she was still in her country waiting for my I-129f petition to be approved.
As to your accountant telling you that it's OK to continue withholding as single when you're married, well... it is OK but I wonder why he's not advising you to withhold as married filing jointly so that you can keep more of your money in your own pocket.
I provided my accountant with a statement of my wife's foreign earnings for last year and he put them on line 21 of our 1040 as 'Other Income'. I now have a new accountant.
Regards, JEff
Rene
Jun 15th 2004, 4:48 am
#17
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Re: How should I fill out W-4?
Rene,
Regardless of your husbands income, he *will* meet the substancial presence test for the tax year 2004-2005. It requires (I think - am doing this from memory so check your facts) that you are resident for 186 days in a tax year. However this is made of all days in 2004-2005 counted as full days, any days he was in the country in 2003-2004 counted as 1/3 value (even if he was here for holiday) and any in 2002-2003 counted as 1/6 of a day each. As it is only June now, he will meet the 186 day requirement just from today to year end.
I arrived Aug 8th last year, and counting the days as allowed i had 189 resident days anyhow. So we filed jointly. As I had no income for the year in the USA we got a nice refund. I did declare my UK income on there as Foreign Earned Income, then excluded it again with the foreign earned income exclusion, which allows you to pro rata up to $80,000 of worldwide income as exempt from US tax.
Everyones circumstances are different, and I am not a tax accountant, but I am sure he will easily meet the presence test for this year.
Lee
Regardless of your husbands income, he *will* meet the substancial presence test for the tax year 2004-2005. It requires (I think - am doing this from memory so check your facts) that you are resident for 186 days in a tax year. However this is made of all days in 2004-2005 counted as full days, any days he was in the country in 2003-2004 counted as 1/3 value (even if he was here for holiday) and any in 2002-2003 counted as 1/6 of a day each. As it is only June now, he will meet the 186 day requirement just from today to year end.
I arrived Aug 8th last year, and counting the days as allowed i had 189 resident days anyhow. So we filed jointly. As I had no income for the year in the USA we got a nice refund. I did declare my UK income on there as Foreign Earned Income, then excluded it again with the foreign earned income exclusion, which allows you to pro rata up to $80,000 of worldwide income as exempt from US tax.
Everyones circumstances are different, and I am not a tax accountant, but I am sure he will easily meet the presence test for this year.
Lee
Jun 15th 2004, 5:15 am
#18
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Re: How should I fill out W-4?
Originally posted by Noorah101
Wow, Buendia! I think that's the first time taxes have been explained in a way I understand, thank you for that!
And thanks to Kim for the link, I'm going to play around with that today and see if I need to change anything.
I'm with Jamie....I prefer getting some money back at the end of the year. I've been doing really well in the past few years, getting just enough back to make me happy, pretty close to breaking even at the end.
I did check with my accountant to let him know I got married, he said just adjusting my deductions and checking single was fine for this year. My biggest concern on this thread was whether BCIS would wonder why I still checked "single". Call me paranoid
Best Wishes,
Rene
Wow, Buendia! I think that's the first time taxes have been explained in a way I understand, thank you for that!
And thanks to Kim for the link, I'm going to play around with that today and see if I need to change anything.
I'm with Jamie....I prefer getting some money back at the end of the year. I've been doing really well in the past few years, getting just enough back to make me happy, pretty close to breaking even at the end.
I did check with my accountant to let him know I got married, he said just adjusting my deductions and checking single was fine for this year. My biggest concern on this thread was whether BCIS would wonder why I still checked "single". Call me paranoid
Best Wishes,
Rene
I'm paranoid, too! (I like to say I'm "careful" but it's really paranoia!). The only reason I'm not paranoid about this is that as an employer, I've never sent a W-4 to the government... they never see it at all.
And I just checked the W-2 that IS sent to the government and there is nothing on it at all about how you choose to be treated for tax withholding (married, single or whatever) just the total amounts withheld for the year. Which makes sense, since many people change their withholding due to marriage, divorce or whatever. You can change your exemptions, too, during the year as circumstances change. All the govt. cares about is how much tax you owe at the end of the year and how much you've paid already through withholding.
So when you file your taxes for 2004, you'll check married and the USCIS will see that at the AOS interview, I guess...
Jun 17th 2004, 6:09 am
#19
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 127
Re: How should I fill out W-4?
Originally posted by Noorah101
Hi All,
I'm now married after my fiance's K1 entrance. When completing my new W-4 tax form, Question 3 gives the choice of "Single", "Married", or "Married but withhold at highter Single rate". Right underneath it says "Note: if married, but legally separated, or spouse is a nonresident alien, check the "Single" box." As far as I know, my husband is a nonresident alien, right? When will that status change...when he gets the stamp in his passport at our AOS interview?
So, I increased my deductions and checked single. When my paystub prints, it says Single. Just wondering if this will be an issue for anything I'm turning such as the Affidavit of Support. Will they wonder why I'm still noted as Single, or could they care less?
Thanks for your help....
Rene
Hi All,
I'm now married after my fiance's K1 entrance. When completing my new W-4 tax form, Question 3 gives the choice of "Single", "Married", or "Married but withhold at highter Single rate". Right underneath it says "Note: if married, but legally separated, or spouse is a nonresident alien, check the "Single" box." As far as I know, my husband is a nonresident alien, right? When will that status change...when he gets the stamp in his passport at our AOS interview?
So, I increased my deductions and checked single. When my paystub prints, it says Single. Just wondering if this will be an issue for anything I'm turning such as the Affidavit of Support. Will they wonder why I'm still noted as Single, or could they care less?
Thanks for your help....
Rene
I have been married for 2.5 years and we still fill out our W4 as single so that more taxes are deducted and at the end of the year you file joint taxes as married.
You will be ok. My wife has confirmed this with her payroll company and we have been doing the same since two years now.
Jun 17th 2004, 6:13 am
#20
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Re: How should I fill out W-4?
Originally posted by waitingforAOS
Rene:
I have been married for 2.5 years and we still fill out our W4 as single so that more taxes are deducted and at the end of the year you file joint taxes as married.
You will be ok. My wife has confirmed this with her payroll company and we have been doing the same since two years now.
Rene:
I have been married for 2.5 years and we still fill out our W4 as single so that more taxes are deducted and at the end of the year you file joint taxes as married.
You will be ok. My wife has confirmed this with her payroll company and we have been doing the same since two years now.
Best Wishes,
Rene
