# Getting your Philippine wife a TIN



## ldwand (Nov 9, 2014)

Is it advantages to get your Filipino wife a Tax Identification number to claim her on your yearly tax filing, also how about her benefits from social security if I kick the bucket and move on to the here and after. Or is it not worth the hassle? I don't want to leave her high and dry, if it came to that. I have contingencies to take care of her, just want to know if social security would be an option? Yes, I know SS is not a sure bet, ha ha.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

If living here in the Philippines your Social Security is not payable to your wife and has no death benefit. 

If you have your SS deposited to one of the *approved* Philippine banks, US law will not allow her to have access in any way to your US dollar Social Security account. That law is in place to protect you from yourself to not be worth more dead than alive. ONLY you are able to make withdrawals from that account.

On the tax issue, I don't know that you can claim someone that is not living in the US or a US territory. You can probably get competent information on any tax questions from H&R Block or another good tax agency there.


Good Luck


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I read on the Social Security site that there is a 5 year residency requirement for a spouse to get survivors benefits (and she would have to wait until she was 60). I am looking for the link... should have saved it....

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0302610025

I am going to call the IRS and ask about a TIN. This is the first year I had to pay taxes since getting married, so I am unsure. I need to find out. Far as I am concerned if they can charge me taxes when I don't live there they can sure as hell let me claim a dependent ha ha


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

I don't think you can claim her as a dependent unless she is a U.S. citizen or is living in the U.S., but I could be wrong. Check this out:

Who Can I Claim as a Dependent?


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

I tried the TIN the year we got married in PI, which required her signature on the application, and I paid for FedEx from PI to the cognizant IRS office in Texas, over $100 both directions since I did not trust the mail. Well, IRS still sc***ed it up and it got LOST somewhere on their end upon receipt and we never got the TIN and I got sc***ed by Uncle Sam. I'm going try file a modified return for that one now that she's got her SSN from being here on green card and see what happens. Just know there is no easy road, But as I understood it then, I Could claim her as dependent if had a TIN. Good luck.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Jet Lag said:


> If living here in the Philippines your Social Security is not payable to your wife and has no death benefit.
> 
> If you have your SS deposited to one of the *approved* Philippine banks, US law will not allow her to have access in any way to your US dollar Social Security account. That law is in place to protect you from yourself to not be worth more dead than alive. ONLY you are able to make withdrawals from that account.
> 
> ...


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Good Morning Nickleback,

The withdrawals and all other transactions (including balance inquiry) must be done in person at the *same* branch that you have your account. This is a US law that is imposed on qualifying banks here to have your account.

I simply go in each month and transfer most all into our joint peso account so we all have access to the funds rather than just me. The peso acct has ATM cards. My wife and I each have one as well as our daughters in the event they need food or whatever when out.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

For my wife and me, and we had to go to the US Embassy to get it started, I gave my wife Power of Attorney in regard to my pension account. I have to be present when she withdraws any pesos from this account. We have a joint ATM account at another bank but they still prefer that I am present. This is in case I have to be admitted to a medical facility and am unable to go to the bank with my wife, she can withdraw funds on my behalf to pay for the medical facility which always requires payment in full before admitting me. If anything happened to my wife, I would have to reverse everything at the US Embassy.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

JimnNila143 said:


> For my wife and me, and we had to go to the US Embassy to get it started, I gave my wife Power of Attorney in regard to my pension account. I have to be present when she withdraws any pesos from this account. We have a joint ATM account at another bank but they still prefer that I am present. This is in case I have to be admitted to a medical facility and am unable to go to the bank with my wife, she can withdraw funds on my behalf to pay for the medical facility which always requires payment in full before admitting me. If anything happened to my wife, I would have to reverse everything at the US Embassy.


Jim,

Several years ago, I read somewhere that living here in the islands, if ones health is failing or likely to fail, our wives can be appointed as a representative payee for us on Social security that is being direct deposited to a bank here in the Philippines
As I understand it that would eliminate us as the US citizen from the US dollar social security account and from then on only the wife would be listed on the account.Do you know anything about this at all?


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*Response*



Jet Lag said:


> Jim,
> 
> Several years ago, I read somewhere that living here in the islands, if ones health is failing or likely to fail, our wives can be appointed as a representative payee for us on Social security that is being direct deposited to a bank here in the Philippines
> As I understand it that would eliminate us as the US citizen from the US dollar social security account and from then on only the wife would be listed on the account.Do you know anything about this at all?


Not that I am aware of. I am on Full Social Security and my pension is guaranteed as long as I am alive. My wife asked SSA if there would be a problem with her acting in my behalf and they told her there would not be any problems. In fact, they told her to obtain a document from my doctor stating that if I become incapacitated my wife would be my power of attorney to bring said document in so it can properly be set up according to Philippine law and US law. There has not been a problem as I am with my wife when we go to the bank each month. There should never be a problem with any of our pensions as they are no government 'handouts' but 'entitlements' because we are entitled to our pensions because we've earned them.

In fact, my pension is listed in my wife's name for me, i.e., Nila Cope For James W. Cope.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

JimnNila143 said:


> Not that I am aware of. I am on Full Social Security and my pension is guaranteed as long as I am alive. My wife asked SSA if there would be a problem with her acting in my behalf and they told her there would not be any problems. In fact, they told her to obtain a document from my doctor stating that if I become incapacitated my wife would be my power of attorney to bring said document in so it can properly be set up according to Philippine law and US law. There has not been a problem as I am with my wife when we go to the bank each month. There should never be a problem with any of our pensions as they are no government 'handouts' but 'entitlements' because we are entitled to our pensions because we've earned them.
> 
> In fact, my pension is listed in my wife's name for me, i.e., Nila Cope For James W. Cope.


Thanks for the reply Jim. We have a friend that lives close to us that may need to have his wife listed or added on as a payee here for his social security. He has an old injury that soon may make it difficult or impossible for him to get to the bank each month to move the money to a different account or even take it out of the bank.
I'll have him call his SS worker at the embassy and get the lowdown...


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

When I opened my Dollar account at the local PBI, we were told that if needed that I was hospitalized or something, she could withdraw as long as she had the bankbook and a Doctor's letter explaining the circumstances. This may go along with the differences between banks/branches. Haven't the need to try it yet.

Fred


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

fmartin_gila said:


> When I opened my Dollar account at the local PBI, we were told that if needed that I was hospitalized or something, she could withdraw as long as she had the bankbook and a Doctor's letter explaining the circumstances. This may go along with the differences between banks/branches. Haven't the need to try it yet.
> 
> Fred


Thanks Fred.. That might work short term for him and hopefully he can get the information. He's using Chinabank in the old downtown Angeles and would be interesting to know if they would do that.
Seems that there should be a permanent payee arrangement that can be made as eventually many US citizens living here would need that. I'm sure there must be a provision as the US govt would make sure retirees can always access their retirement dollars.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Jet Lag said:


> Thanks Fred.. That might work short term for him and hopefully he can get the information. He's using Chinabank in the old downtown Angeles and would be interesting to know if they would do that.
> Seems that there should be a permanent payee arrangement that can be made as eventually many US citizens living here would need that. I'm sure there must be a provision as the US govt would make sure retirees can always access their retirement dollars.


These restrictions are put in place to stop the family accessing the retirement dollars after the US citizen has passed on. Yes it can be inconvenient but there were cases on the death not being registered and the money kept flowing.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Gary D said:


> These restrictions are put in place to stop the family accessing the retirement dollars after the US citizen has passed on. Yes it can be inconvenient but there were cases on the death not being registered and the money kept flowing.


Yea, that I know and understand. At the same time--for example, I get in an accident or become hospitalized or home bound and can no longer go to the bank to transfer or withdrawal funds from the dollar acct. The US government must have a way for my wife to become my *representative payee* for the rest of my life. The US government as idiotic as they can be at times (the current president notwithstanding) would have a way for me to be able to access my retirement dollars no matter what..


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## ldwand (Nov 9, 2014)

Thank you all for your responses, looks like the decision will be hers. Again thanks.


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