# Uh, confused about taxes and Fbar...



## ieatfood88 (Jan 8, 2014)

I was just thinking about taxes today and I'm quite confused because I have no taxable income for 2015 EXCEPT that for my last semester in Uni (2015 spring semester online), I did have a loan taken out for my books and I had financial aid. My mom received my 1098-T form, which are my tuition expenses and such. Also, since I'm married, there is the issue of my husbands income...

So, do I still file because of these two things? Even, if I would file separately from my husband? Do you think it's worth going to the IRS office in Paris? On the IRS website, it states that there is walk-in assistance from 9-12AM... 

And since my bank account never even went towards $10,000 I don't file an Fbar?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

First of all, the IRS office in Paris closed up shop at the end of last year. Cost cutting move, apparently. U.S. Taxes (IRS) | Paris, France - Embassy of the United States

Secondly, you should file US taxes as "married, filing separately" - which means that you don't have to file at all if your total worldwide income (apart from your husband) is less than $4000.

And if your bank account here in France never went near $10,000 all year you are indeed off the hook for the whole FBAR experience. For this year anyhow. But if you hold a joint account with your husband, be sure to add together your account and the high balance in your husband's account, just to be sure. It's the total of all accounts you have signature authority over, not the individual account balances.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ieatfood88 (Jan 8, 2014)

Ah, okay. So, I only have signature authority over our account and not all his savings accounts, etc. 

I do have one question. It was suggested to me to file NIL, just to keep track of everything. I'm just really confused about everything because on my 1098 - T form, it shows the financial aid that I received and the loan that was taken out to cover some tuition costs and all my CRAZY expensive books. 

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/kellyphillipserb/files/2015/03/1098-T.png

That's an example. Except, my scholarship/grants, box 5, has an amount larger than payments received, box 1. I did have extra money leftover from the loan and grant money that I received, after my tuition and books were paid for. So, I'm not sure if this is counted as income since I had money left over to use...
I had quite a large grant (yay, free money) and combine that with the little bit I had left over from my loan...well, it definitely reaches over 4,000.



Even so, if I don't have to really file, I feel like I should just because of this 1098-t form. I'm scared to death of them doing something, like auditing me, and throwing a bunch of fines into my life...shew. 

For future reference...where do I get the forms that I need to file and which ones do I typically use? AND, where do I send this stuff in? I'm assuming it's a 1040 form...but there may be others I need to fill out, right? Every time I search online, I just get a bunch of crap that doesn't make sense. I tried looking into turbotax, which some expats use...but they're not married. Turbotax is ALWAYS asking for my husbands SSN or ITIN, which, of course, he doesn't have. And I refuse to get him a ITIN. I would love to E-file but I don't think I can. 

I'm a bit in the dark about this, unfortunately. 



Bevdeforges said:


> First of all, the IRS office in Paris closed up shop at the end of last year. Cost cutting move, apparently. U.S. Taxes (IRS) | Paris, France - Embassy of the United States
> 
> Secondly, you should file US taxes as "married, filing separately" - which means that you don't have to file at all if your total worldwide income (apart from your husband) is less than $4000.
> 
> ...


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

First of all, you don't file just because you got a form regarding income (or potential income). I'm not familiar with the form, but it sounds like it may actually be a credit for tuition you paid - however, you should check Publication 17 (the all purpose "everything you ever wanted to know about your taxes" book) to see just where each box on the form goes for your return. The index to pub 17 shows several references to information on scholarships but see especially the part on page 97 to see if you can simply exclude some or all of your scholarship from gross income. (Unless you were teaching or doing research as part of that scholarship, you'll probably find that it's tax free and doesn't need to be reported.)



> For future reference...where do I get the forms that I need to file and which ones do I typically use? AND, where do I send this stuff in? I'm assuming it's a 1040 form...but there may be others I need to fill out, right? Every time I search online, I just get a bunch of crap that doesn't make sense. I tried looking into turbotax, which some expats use...but they're not married. Turbotax is ALWAYS asking for my husbands SSN or ITIN, which, of course, he doesn't have. And I refuse to get him a ITIN. I would love to E-file but I don't think I can.


You can get all the forms you'd ever need (or want) on the IRS.gov website in the Forms and Publications section. https://www.irs.gov/Forms-&-Pubs The basic publication you want to get is Pub 17 for general information (it's basically the free version of those $20 books they sell back in the States on "how to do your taxes") and then you want to get Pub 54 for the "overseas" stuff.

Chances are, you may well not be able to e-file, though there is no need to get hubby an ITIN. You're supposed to just put NRA in the space where they ask for SSN or ITIN. (NRA has nothing to do with rifles - it stands for Non Resident Alien). However the e-filing may get rejected if you don't put in his name where it asks for it. I have filed for YEARS on paper, putting simply NRA for both hubby's name and SSN or ITIN and they've never come back on me. 

TurboTax and/or TaxSlayer may or may not allow you to e-file for free - check the IRS wizard thing for selecting a free e-file vendor. I got back only two possibilities this year - and one of them may or may not be suitable, but the issue in my case appears to be my age. Try again with TurboTax (free edition) and use the NRA thing for his ITIN. Up to you if you want to include his name - or do some riff on Non Resident Alien in the name space.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ieatfood88 (Jan 8, 2014)

Okay! Thank you Bev! 

I looked over both Pub's and boy...it's a lot of information to take in, hahaha. I was getting lost while reading through some parts. Taxes have never been my forte! 

I guess I just fill out form 1040 and 8965? I assume the real fun starts when I actually start making over the $4,000 threshold for married filing separately? That's one I'm still reading about, the whole FEIE.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

If you didn't make more than $4000 in 2015 ("international income" - not just in France), then you don't fill out ANY tax forms at all. You simply don't file. No 1040 and no 8965. 

When and if your income goes over the married filing separately threshold, then you want to look at 1040 and 2555 and/or 1116 (plus 8965 and Schedule B). But enjoy not having to file while it lasts. 
Cheers,
Bev


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