# Living in Mexico, Working in the States… Taxes, General Seeking of Advice



## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

Howdy folks,
New to the forums, and I have some questions and figured some of you folks can help me out.

So, after college, came back to Mexicali and started working in the school system in the Imperial Valley. Living pretty comfortably earning USD and living in Mex.
Don't really have any issues, my vehicles are properly registered, have 3rd person mexican liability, also possess dual citizenship, so home ownership isn't an issue.

Cross every day to work on my motorcycle, leave one car in Cali to commute, though I had everything pretty well thought up.

and BAM!
Kid on the way.

So, I understand I don't qualify for Snap benefits, or EITC when the kid comes, because I have to be residing in the state (Though, as far as Cali is concerned, I am a state citizen… I vote, pay my taxes, have my bank, and a mailing address.) But I don't want to commit fraud, by requesting EITC, when I don't technically meet the requirements. (mailing address is extended family, and I wouldn't want to involve them, them picking up my mail is more than enough.)

But I figured, I should be allowed the other exemptions, right?

I previously filed as single.

My girlfriend/baby momma is a Mexican citizen, and we currently have no plans to live in the US, I'm just much more comfortable living in Mex. But hell, if I'm paying taxes, and other people get exemptions for their household, can I also get an exemption for her? The kid will have a SSN, since he'll be born a US citizen. Lamentably, it seems I can't even get my girl a nonimmigrant visa to travel to disney, as by virtue of being married, any attempts to enter the US will be considered immigration, and not "visitor or business…" gosh. 
So, trying to minimize my liabilities, and have some of the perks that other state residents/tax paying individuals have.

I don't see the point in spending 6k in rent, to get… 3kish back…
and I couldn't even do an immigrant visa, because atm, my earnings are at 2 person household, but not enough for a 3rd.
If we did move to the states, we'd need a sponsor, and then we couldn't rely on public funding (my work is seasonal in nature… so we could be forced to go on welfare) because the sponsor becomes liable for any money we receive while on welfare.

So, trying to deal with this situation…
I love living in Mexico.
But it sucks working in the United States, paying taxes, and seeing people reap all these benefits, just by virtue of living (and many, many… not working) and because of my residency, getting to pay into these funds, but not having access to them.

Should I chalk it up to… the price of living in Mex/Working in the US?

Regardless…
My question remains,
Can I get my wife/partner/babymomma a SSN/tax number, so I can reap some relief from the tax man? Any other things I should do? Anyone have any experience? I wouldn't mind my wife having a nonimmigrant visa, and just being a stay at home mom, while I worked. The efforts necessary to go through USCIS and the current 25,000$ necessary income to support a family of 3, is beyond my means. But hell, we can live with much less than that.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

I advise you not calling California "Cali" when in California as this is a dead give away you have never lived there. Or if you did people like messing with you for not advising you how lame that is.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Where are you planning to have the baby born?

Other members might demur, but I think the child would have an easier time if she's born in California, though it might cost you a bit more. I've had children born in Mexico and got them U.S. citizenship without problem. And though some folks might quibble, they're considered "natural born" citizens, eligible for the presidency. But I was living in the D.F. Since you're on the border ...


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## michmex (Jul 15, 2012)

> Regardless…
> My question remains,
> Can I get my wife/partner/babymomma a SSN/tax number, so I can reap some relief from the tax man? Any other things I should do? Anyone have any experience? I wouldn't mind my wife having a nonimmigrant visa, and just being a stay at home mom, while I worked. The efforts necessary to go through USCIS and the current 25,000$ necessary income to support a family of 3, is beyond my means. But hell, we can live with much less than that.


The general answer is yes you can get an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for your spouse. She would not be eligible for a Social Security Number (SSN) unless she has "Green Card" status. Getting an ITIN is easier if she can cross over into the USA to get one. My wife obtained one in the USA while our granddaughter obtained one in Mexico City by utilizing an IRS approved "Acceptance Agent". 

More on the ITIN (I-& form) from the IRS.

Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

AlanMexicali said:


> I advise you not calling California "Cali" when in California as this is a dead give away you have never lived there. Or if you did people like messing with you for not advising you how lame that is.


??…
Pretty sure I live in Cali, went to SD for my bachelor's… though I have only lived here since my Junior year of high school, I did most of my secondary education in the east coast. 
What I didn't do, though, was call San Francisco… Frisco, like the other nooblets.


Girl works, so she has IMSS, so there's supposed to be considerably less overhead on that front. Girl got get BCC denied a couple of years ago, doubt she'd get one issued now that she's pregnant. And all I've been reading, is once we get married, it would definitely be denied, because customs officials would assume it's to cross into the state to establish permanent residency with me, even though, it's pretty well established I live in Mexico. (File my taxes, but say I live in Mexico, so I don't have to worry about ACA fine.)

Read up on the born-with-citizenship issue, I fit the bill for giving a descendant citizenship because I've been in the states long enough. Just have to do the consular report and such. The benefits are also the whole… mexican citizenship, can own property and whatnot without going the fideicomiso route.

But it seems absurd that it's so difficult for someone who's working class in the poorest county in the union, to be unable to get even a travel visa for someone who's child and partner are US citizens. Honest to goodness, I used to think the process was WAY simpler/easier. Ugh.

Good thing to hear I can get a tax ID number, does it work the same way as a SSN? For tax-reprieve purposes? 
Or is it… like, are they assuming I'm living with an illegal inside the US?
The whole point is to get a little tax benefit from having her in my household, in Mexico. 


I was also thinking, to go the other route, and not marry until I can afford to file the K1-visa, then go the AOS route. Girl won't like it, but I hear it's much easier to do than to marry abroad. 

Somethings would definitely be easier even if she just had a BCC, alas, the likelihood of that happening anytime soon is nil.

I've been reading, and so much of this is… crazy… sometimes things are 'immigration law' but rarely get enforced, sometime's it's arbitrary, ugh. 

Love Mexico, but things were way simpler when I was a bachelor, for having a family…
I'm having an inkling to return to the states.


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