By I.J. Zemelman, EA, Taxes for Expats

Are you recently married and living overseas?  Just when you thought the work of planning your wedding was over…After taking your vows, there is still more to accomplish for compliance with the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Here is a brief checklist of considerations you must make and actions you must take in order to avoid problems at tax time.

Update Your W-4 Withholding Amount

If both you and your spouse are employed and you plan on filing a joint return, you are most likely going to be within a higher tax bracket.  If your employer is based in the US, simply speak with Human Resources or the person in charge of payroll to make sure your withholding amount is commensurate to your new income tax bracket.  If your spouse is not an American citizen – you may want to explore the options for filing with a non-US spouse.

If you are working for a foreign employer, it will also be important to investigate the withholding amount.  Additionally, you will want to find out if your foreign income source, amount of annual income, and/or your host countries reporting and withholding policies require you to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS.

Make Sure to Use the Correct Tax Form

You may be accustomed to filing Form 1040-EZ as a single taxpayer, but you are likely to have more reporting requirements as a married couple for which it would make more sense to use Form 1040 so you’re able to itemize deductions and get the most out of your joint US expat tax return.

Choose the Most Advantageous Filing Status

If you are married as of December 31, you may file a joint return as a married couple for the year.  Quite often, couples find it advantageous to file a joint return, but that’s not always the case.  There are situations in which it’s much more financially beneficial to file separately. Take the time to consider all allowable deductions and exemptions in both scenarios to determine the most advantageous filing status for your particular situation.

Notify the Relevant Government Agencies

In addition to the previously mentioned considerations, it will also be important for you to communicate changes to your status to certain institutions. Taking the following steps will help you avoid problems processing your tax return and simplify other aspects of your life, as well.

Contact the Social Security Administration

Upon taking your spouse’s name, it will be necessary for you to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to apply for a new Social Security card reflecting your name change.  This can be easily accomplished by visiting the Social Security Administration at either a local office or online at www.ssa.gov and filing Form SS-5.

Contact the Internal Revenue Service

In addition to contacting the SSA about your name change, you will also want to notify the IRS of the new name associated with your Social Security number.  Also, if you have relocated, you will need to notify the IRS of your new address by filing Form 8822. While you’re at it, don’t forget to submit a change of address or notification of new address in your new host country.

Contact Your Employer

Many employers offer additional benefits for families of their employees.  Contact your employer to find out if additional benefits are offered and what you can do to get your spouse and/or children (if acquired through marriage) enrolled.

If you need help determining the best way to file or have any other questions about filing a US expat tax return as a married couple, make sure to find the best US expat tax preparation service available.

About the author

I.J. Zemelman, EA is the founder of Taxes for Expats
She may be reached at: +1-646-397-2887
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.taxesforexpats.com

Taxes for Expats is the tax arm of Expat Services Inc Limited. Their company helps expatriates all over the world deal with issues they face resulting from moving abroad – including help with relocation, taxes & school & housing search. They have created a simple tax return process that should tremendously simplify filing your US taxes. You can simply upload relevant documents to our secure server and they take care of the rest