Hi everyone, I’ve got a question about taxes. I’m married, but my spouse and I live in different states. He’s working, and I’m a student on an F1 visa with no income (I don’t work anywhere). Can I file taxes separately? Is it smarter to file together or alone in this case? Would really appreciate some tips.
It’s usually better for a married couple to file together, even if one of you doesn’t have income. Why are you considering filing separately?
Wil said:
It’s usually better for a married couple to file together, even if one of you doesn’t have income. Why are you considering filing separately?
This is true because the tax benefits for married filing jointly are often better. For 2024, the standard deduction for filing jointly is $29,200, while it’s $14,600 if you file separately. This means your husband’s taxable income could increase by $14,600 without much benefit to you, especially since you don’t have income. There are some cases where filing separately makes sense, but they’re not common.
@Peyton
Tax brackets are also different for single versus married filing jointly. Some of your husband’s income could end up in a higher tax bracket if you file separately.
Chen said:
@Peyton
Tax brackets are also different for single versus married filing jointly. Some of your husband’s income could end up in a higher tax bracket if you file separately.
It’s not ‘could’—it will, unless his income is so low that it stays in the first tax bracket.
Wil said:
It’s usually better for a married couple to file together, even if one of you doesn’t have income. Why are you considering filing separately?
I thought filing separately might be better since I have no income. I wasn’t sure if I need to file something to report zero income for the year.
@Teal
If you file jointly, you’d need to elect to be treated as a resident alien because your husband is a U.S. tax resident. This could reduce his taxes, but it would also mean reporting your worldwide income and disclosing any foreign bank accounts.
@Teal
Filing jointly with your husband would lower your overall tax bill compared to filing separately.
Wil said:
@Teal
Filing jointly with your husband would lower your overall tax bill compared to filing separately.
Thanks for explaining! Just one thing—if I file jointly, do I need to provide any documents since I don’t have a W-2 or anything? Is it just a matter of selecting the option?
@Teal
You’ll need to officially choose to be treated as a resident alien. Check out the details on how to do this on this page.
Why would you even file if you don’t have income?
Crosby said:
Why would you even file if you don’t have income?
Is there a form I need to submit to show that I earned nothing this year?
Crosby said:
Why would you even file if you don’t have income?
Is there a form I need to submit to show that I earned nothing this year?
If you’re on an F1 visa in your first five years in the U.S., you’d file Form 8843 to exclude days of presence under the substantial presence test. But you don’t need to file a tax return just to report no income.
Crosby said:
Why would you even file if you don’t have income?
Is there a form I need to submit to show that I earned nothing this year?
Nope, you don’t need to do that.
I’m just trying to figure this out since I’m a student and don’t have income right now. My husband earns, so I wasn’t sure what makes the most sense.