Can I claim my wife who lives in another country?

hmmmm: Can I claim my wife who lives in another country?
I married in the United States, but my wife is still in her country waiting to immigrate to the US. May I claim her on my 2007 income tax as a dependent?

Answers and Views:

Answer by apsara
yes you can….

Answer by Serge M
Yes if you provide more than 50 percent of her upkeep and you file as married filing jointly. On a joint return, you have to include her income. There may be credits for foreign taxes she pays. If you file separate returns you cannot claim her as a dependent.

Answer by ♥ Angel Cat aka Pami Jane ♥
I think you can if you can prove that a percentage of your wages regularly were used to help support her. You may have to check on that one, but I would think so.

Answer by notaperviemusculargent
I have seen this before and it is a huge problem. I sympathize with you as sometimes you have to wait and wait. I even know of one case where one guy CANNOT get his wife over here because the embassy of that country won’t do anything, and, on a technicality, you can’t do anything.

OK. First, your wife needs a social security number. The IRS will DENY your exemption if the social security number is not on the return.

You cannot file married filing separately. She’s not going to be filling out a return because she has no U.S. based income, from what you have stated. So the support factor does not come in to play. If you are sending over 50% of her support, you should file head of household {HOH}. That’s the only way. Plus I’m thinking of the possibility of a child on the way.

Answer by v b
Spouses are spouses, not dependents.
There is no residency requirement on a spouse.

You can file MFJ with her (including worldwide income for both of you).

You can file MFS and claim her exemption if she has $ 0 US source income.

You can file MFS and not claim her exemption.

All three choices require a paper return. The first two choices require either an SSN or an ITIN (form W-7). The last choice requires a note to the service center to explain why there is no SSN/ITIN.

If you file MFS, you can later amend to MFJ if you do so before 4/15/2011.