# US citizen in UK tax help!



## en09art (Jun 23, 2013)

Hi everyone! 
I'm a US citizen who married a UK citizen and moved to the UK in November 2014. I was working in the US until I moved and need to file taxes, but I haven't had any income in the UK since I moved here.

I usually use TurboTax but I'm not sure if I can use it again. I was trying to file as 'Married, filing separately' but it's now asking for my husband's SSN or ITIN. is there a special way to file on TurboTax that I'm missing? 

I know I could extend the deadline until Nov 2015, but I don't think that's necessary since I haven't received any income from the UK in 2014. I'm just really confused on what to do! Anyone have any advice?
Thanks in advance


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Apparently TurboTax has changed something in their software so that it no longer appears on the list of software that can be used by an overseas filer for e-filing. (I believe it relates to either the address handling - can't deal with foreign addresses any more - or the omission of certain "key" forms.)

There is a list of the online "e-filing" software that works for overseas filers here: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/irs/efiling.pdf
Personally, I've used TaxAct (the free version) with little or no problem - and for filing as MFS. You should not have to give an SSN or ITIN for your spouse if you are not taking him/her as a dependent. Now, whether the IRS will accept the e-filing remains another question. However, with TaxAct, at least if the IRS rejects your e-filing, you can still print out the resulting forms and mail them in. (Last time I tried TurboTax in the Free File version, it was set up to only allow e-filing. If you wanted to print the forms, you had to pay.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## violette2583 (Aug 30, 2012)

I just used TurboTax to file my US taxes (married, filing jointly) without a problem. Granted, I had to purchase the upgraded version (I think around $30) to do so.


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## en09art (Jun 23, 2013)

violette2583 said:


> I just used TurboTax to file my US taxes (married, filing jointly) without a problem. Granted, I had to purchase the upgraded version (I think around $30) to do so.


oh really? you were able to enter spouse info without an ITIN/SSN?


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## en09art (Jun 23, 2013)

Bevdeforges said:


> Apparently TurboTax has changed something in their software so that it no longer appears on the list of software that can be used by an overseas filer for e-filing. (I believe it relates to either the address handling - can't deal with foreign addresses any more - or the omission of certain "key" forms.)
> 
> There is a list of the online "e-filing" software that works for overseas filers here: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/france/5/irs/efiling.pdf
> Personally, I've used TaxAct (the free version) with little or no problem - and for filing as MFS. You should not have to give an SSN or ITIN for your spouse if you are not taking him/her as a dependent. Now, whether the IRS will accept the e-filing remains another question. However, with TaxAct, at least if the IRS rejects your e-filing, you can still print out the resulting forms and mail them in. (Last time I tried TurboTax in the Free File version, it was set up to only allow e-filing. If you wanted to print the forms, you had to pay.)
> ...


thanks for the info!! 

turbotax actually let me enter a foreign address when I started filing my application but then I got stuck at the spouse ITIN/SSN number needed 

I signed up for TaxAct and will probably end up using it, but their whole format and website was really difficult and it kept freezing and losing my data, so I gave up on that one for a bit... I'm really just hoping turbotax would work and it sounds like it might according to violetta??


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

When I attempted TurboTax (a couple of years ago), I had no problem filling everything in except for the NRA bit instead of the SSN/ITIN. The problem I ran into was that when you got to that stage (finished, except for the SSN/ITIN) you couldn't print the forms out without paying for an upgrade to the next stage.

The advantage for me of TaxAct was that you can print out your forms if the IRS rejects the e-filing. You could try downloading the free version to your computer. That tends to work better once you get the download.
Cheers,
Bev


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## violette2583 (Aug 30, 2012)

en09art said:


> oh really? you were able to enter spouse info without an ITIN/SSN?


We were filing jointly, and I had my husband's SSN. I should probably mention that hubby is American like me.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

It's also quite possible for a non-resident alien to have a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) through previous (or current) association of some kind with the U.S. If he/she has one, that's what you put in that SSN/ITIN space.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It is also entirely possible that an NRA spouse has no SSN nor any ITIN - and wants to keep it that way. NRA is a perfectly acceptable entry for those filers filing married, filing separately due to being married to an NRA with no filing obligation.
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

"NRA" is perfectly fine in the SSN/ITIN space for a non-resident alien _only if the non-resident alien doesn't have an SSN or ITIN_ and isn't required to have one. That's what the IRS's instructions say, and I'd refer readers to those instructions.


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## KRM2015 (Jan 21, 2015)

Sorry to deviate off topic slightly, but on your 1040 are you listing "foreign country name" as United Kingdom or England? I'm leaning towards United Kingdom as that's where the passports are issued from etc but is the UK a country?


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## ForeignBody (Oct 20, 2011)

KRM2015 said:


> Sorry to deviate off topic slightly, but on your 1040 are you listing "foreign country name" as United Kingdom or England? I'm leaning towards United Kingdom as that's where the passports are issued from etc but is the UK a country?


UK seems to be the designation used by the IRS (eg the tax treaty is with the UK; the IRS Yearly Average Currency Rates are listed as UK; not IRS, but the FBAR filing lists UK).


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