ITIN process for children
#16
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 478
Re: ITIN process for children
Why would you not take the dependency exemption for a child ($3900 of tax exempt income per child) if you qualified for it?
#17
Re: ITIN process for children
One would take it if they qualified for it. "if" being the operative word.
A dependent child is not the same thing as a spouse with whom one can chose to file a joint tax return. The spouse is a joint filer, not a dependent.
Regards, JEff
A dependent child is not the same thing as a spouse with whom one can chose to file a joint tax return. The spouse is a joint filer, not a dependent.
Regards, JEff
#18
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Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Issaquah, WA
Posts: 274
Re: ITIN process for children
Interesting, Pete originally included them but then removed them as he said they were not allowed as dependents on the 1040NR. The tax refund difference was significant. That was for 2010. I'll ask Pete again if that was the correct thing to do?
Unless you didn't have any US tax liability, I don't understand why your children were not included. Even if you filed as a non resident alien (form 1040 NR), I don't see any restrictions about including your children as long as they lived with you for half of the year.
If there were US taxes owed, you may want to fill in a 1040 NR with the children as dependents to see if there is any tax savings and if so, file an amended return (you have 3 years to amend your return). However since you arrived in October, the tax savings may possibly be minimal.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040nr.pdf
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040nr.pdf
If there were US taxes owed, you may want to fill in a 1040 NR with the children as dependents to see if there is any tax savings and if so, file an amended return (you have 3 years to amend your return). However since you arrived in October, the tax savings may possibly be minimal.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040nr.pdf
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040nr.pdf
#19
Re: ITIN process for children
She was very nice and helpful.
#20
Re: ITIN process for children
The instructions don't appear to say anything that would indicate that your dependents aren't allowed to be claimed.
#21
Re: ITIN process for children
Please clarify your post - which instructions are "the" instructions?
From the instructions for Form 1040NR:
This may not be the applicable instructions in this case, but if for AL's the first tax year in the USA the children did not meet either the green card test or the substantial presence test then they would not have been residents of the US for tax purposes?
Regards, JEff
From the instructions for Form 1040NR:
An individual claimed as a dependent must be a citizen, national, or resident of the United States, or a resident of Canada or Mexico.
Regards, JEff
Last edited by jeffreyhy; Feb 4th 2013 at 9:34 pm.
#22
Re: ITIN process for children
Please clarify your post - which instructions are "the" instructions?
From the instructions for Form 1040NR:
This may not be the applicable instructions in this case, but if for AL's the first tax year in the USA the children did not meet either the green card test or the substantial presence test then they would not have been residents of the US for tax purposes?
Regards, JEff
From the instructions for Form 1040NR:
This may not be the applicable instructions in this case, but if for AL's the first tax year in the USA the children did not meet either the green card test or the substantial presence test then they would not have been residents of the US for tax purposes?
Regards, JEff
So are the children residents of the US or do they need to meet the "substantial presence test" to be considered residents on form 1040 NR? It doesn't appear that on form 1040, they need to meet the "substantial presence test" to be considered residents and therefore dependents.
Last edited by Michael; Feb 4th 2013 at 10:12 pm.
#23
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 5
Re: ITIN process for children
I went to an "IRS Center" last year as it was my first tax return and I needed ITINs for my dependents. I sat and waited for 1.5 hours and my deli ticket was called - took about 5 minutes for them to certify the original birth certificates, I-94s/Passports and they took my tax return and associated documents + W-7s, mailed it off for me.
I then received my ENORMOUS refund due to my completely misunderstanding the W-4 and it included the full exemptions for dependents and child care costs etc.
This year I have the ITINs so have the luxury of e-filing - which I will do as soon as H&R Block let me due to some forms not being ready...
I then received my ENORMOUS refund due to my completely misunderstanding the W-4 and it included the full exemptions for dependents and child care costs etc.
This year I have the ITINs so have the luxury of e-filing - which I will do as soon as H&R Block let me due to some forms not being ready...
#24
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 5
Re: ITIN process for children
About the other discussion from this thread (about whether or not you can have children as dependent the first year or not):
I was in the same situation: First year I filed as Non Resident Alien (NRA) because we did not meet the substantial presence test, and I was not allowed to add the kids as dependents that year (I do not remember the details where this came from, I just know that they were not added). So it's really this year that I try to add the kids as dependents, now that we meet the test and that we file as resident aliens (even without a green card).
I actually discovered the ITIN requirements when trying to e-file : the system didn't want to process the draft of the tax return, because no SSN or ITIM was specified for the dependents.
As a resident alien, you can claim the same dependents as a US citizen.
Hope this helps
I was in the same situation: First year I filed as Non Resident Alien (NRA) because we did not meet the substantial presence test, and I was not allowed to add the kids as dependents that year (I do not remember the details where this came from, I just know that they were not added). So it's really this year that I try to add the kids as dependents, now that we meet the test and that we file as resident aliens (even without a green card).
I actually discovered the ITIN requirements when trying to e-file : the system didn't want to process the draft of the tax return, because no SSN or ITIM was specified for the dependents.
As a resident alien, you can claim the same dependents as a US citizen.
Hope this helps
#25
Re: ITIN process for children
About the other discussion from this thread (about whether or not you can have children as dependent the first year or not):
I was in the same situation: First year I filed as Non Resident Alien (NRA) because we did not meet the substantial presence test, and I was not allowed to add the kids as dependents that year (I do not remember the details where this came from, I just know that they were not added). So it's really this year that I try to add the kids as dependents, now that we meet the test and that we file as resident aliens (even without a green card).
I actually discovered the ITIN requirements when trying to e-file : the system didn't want to process the draft of the tax return, because no SSN or ITIM was specified for the dependents.
As a resident alien, you can claim the same dependents as a US citizen.
Hope this helps
I was in the same situation: First year I filed as Non Resident Alien (NRA) because we did not meet the substantial presence test, and I was not allowed to add the kids as dependents that year (I do not remember the details where this came from, I just know that they were not added). So it's really this year that I try to add the kids as dependents, now that we meet the test and that we file as resident aliens (even without a green card).
I actually discovered the ITIN requirements when trying to e-file : the system didn't want to process the draft of the tax return, because no SSN or ITIM was specified for the dependents.
As a resident alien, you can claim the same dependents as a US citizen.
Hope this helps
#26
Re: ITIN process for children
Er... can't be bothered to read the whole thread through but anyway it depends on your own filing status, which is why I linked to the 1040 instructions.
Read IRS publication 519 for more details (if it is your first year in the US you generally will file dual-status - unless you arrived on January 1st).
If you're filing on 1040NR you can only claim for the dependents if you are a tax resident of Canada, Mexico or South Korea. However you don't even need to use 1040NR if you are a tax resident of those countries because of the non-discrimination clause in the tax treaty. Generally recommended to use 1040NR though because using 1040 and filing an 8833 with it to claim non-discrimination causes confusion. Which is why 1040NR has special boxes on it under "filing status".
Anyway...
This is the relevant telephone number for the IRS international tax "hotline" - 267-941-1000
Back in ye olde days when they gave seminars on how to do stuff like the W-7 and 1040NR they used to expressly warn people not to listen to advice on the regular IRS helplines but to call that number for the helpline in PA.
Also note there is a lot of hoopla about the "substantial presence test" but in reality it doesn't mean a whole fat lot because (a) if you want to (which you will if you're planning on staying in the US for any length of time) you can be a tax resident on day 1 and (b) if you DON'T want to, you can always claim a closer connection to your home country on Form 8840, which basically sets the "test" to 183 days. Or in some cases (c) depending on what the tax treaty says you can be non-resident for longer than that, or if you're a foreign student or patient (using form 8843).
Read IRS publication 519 for more details (if it is your first year in the US you generally will file dual-status - unless you arrived on January 1st).
If you're filing on 1040NR you can only claim for the dependents if you are a tax resident of Canada, Mexico or South Korea. However you don't even need to use 1040NR if you are a tax resident of those countries because of the non-discrimination clause in the tax treaty. Generally recommended to use 1040NR though because using 1040 and filing an 8833 with it to claim non-discrimination causes confusion. Which is why 1040NR has special boxes on it under "filing status".
Anyway...
This is the relevant telephone number for the IRS international tax "hotline" - 267-941-1000
Back in ye olde days when they gave seminars on how to do stuff like the W-7 and 1040NR they used to expressly warn people not to listen to advice on the regular IRS helplines but to call that number for the helpline in PA.
Also note there is a lot of hoopla about the "substantial presence test" but in reality it doesn't mean a whole fat lot because (a) if you want to (which you will if you're planning on staying in the US for any length of time) you can be a tax resident on day 1 and (b) if you DON'T want to, you can always claim a closer connection to your home country on Form 8840, which basically sets the "test" to 183 days. Or in some cases (c) depending on what the tax treaty says you can be non-resident for longer than that, or if you're a foreign student or patient (using form 8843).
Last edited by Steve_; Feb 4th 2013 at 11:33 pm.