US Covid Payments:Thai Spouse

[mrwebb8825]

Posting this here because I'm not sure where is the best place. 

Wondering if anyone has received the US Covid payments as Married. I'm married, a non-filer and have never applied for a TIN for my Thai wife. When I filled out the form for non-filers I filled it out as single because my wife isn't a US citizen and doesn't have a TIN. I received all 3 payments.

My question is, can I apply for a TIN for my wife, amend my status to married and get another $3,200 deposited into my account? or should I just let sleeping dogs lie as it were?

No flaming please because free money is free money. ????

[simon43]

Yea, just go ahead and commit fraud.  Why not?

[tonray]

Here are the rules:

 

"

Stimulus Payments for expats with a foreign spouse

The CARES Act contains some important details concerning Americans who are married to foreigners, and how their spouse and filing status affect their entitlement to a Stimulus Payment. For married Americans, Stimulus Payment eligibility is best summarized as follows:

– An American citizen or green card holder whose spouse has a US social security number but who file separately – each can receive a Stimulus Payment if each of their income is under $99,000.

– An American citizen or green card holder whose spouse has a US social security number and who file jointly – if their joint income is under $198,000, they will receive a double Stimulus Payment.

– An American citizen or green card holder whose spouse has no US social security number and who file separately – the American citizen or green card holder will receive a single Stimulus Payment if their income is under $99,000.

– An American citizen or green card holder whose spouse has no US social security number and who file jointly using a taxpayer ID number (also known as an ITIN) – neither can receive a Stimulus Payment.

The only exception relating to the last group is for expats who serve in the US military, though there are currently some legal challenges in motion to allow expats married to and filing jointly with a foreigner with no US social security number to also receive a stimulus payment.

[grin]

I am a US citizen and my wife has an ITIN and we file our US taxes jointly. We have received every stimulus check in the mail so far but the amount is for one person not two. Even though it seems to be only for me the checks are made out to both of us, probably due to joint filing of taxes.

[mrwebb8825]

Tonray and Grin - Thank you. That answers exactly what I wanted to know. Good to know I did it right the 1st time. ????

 

simon43 - run along and let the adults talk.

Edited June 1, 2021 by mrwebb8825

[WingFat]

On 5/31/2021 at 3:56 PM, simon43 said:

Yea, just go ahead and commit fraud.  Why not?

There a LOT of well-off people in the US collecting unemployment under the various give-away programs. And by well-off I mean folks with net worths in the 7 and 8 figures and solid investment incomes. Investment incomes do not count against income thresholds in these unemployment payment schemes in the US. This is not to say mrwebb8825 is among these 7-8 figure net worths and solid investment income street urchins. He simply wanted to know the rules.

[wwest5829]

Sad outlook ....

[Pilot3Boz]

Something you need to be thinking of is long term for your wife. Get her a SSN and report her on your taxes... If you want any hope of her getting SS when you pass away!!! I made sure I got my wife's citizenship done before we departed the USA... That isn't an option not living in the USA, but protecting her with an entitlement is very important long term consideration... Please look into this and how to get her future a little more secure! Also make sure you have a will in the USA and Thailand for her sake!! 

[farangkinok]

On 6/1/2021 at 7:26 AM, grin said:

I am a US citizen and my wife has an ITIN and we file our US taxes jointly. We have received every stimulus check in the mail so far but the amount is for one person not two. Even though it seems to be only for me the checks are made out to both of us, probably due to joint filing of taxes.

 

[mrwebb8825]

7 hours ago, Pilot3Boz said:

Something you need to be thinking of is long term for your wife. Get her a SSN and report her on your taxes... If you want any hope of her getting SS when you pass away!!! I made sure I got my wife's citizenship done before we departed the USA... That isn't an option not living in the USA, but protecting her with an entitlement is very important long term consideration... Please look into this and how to get her future a little more secure! Also make sure you have a will in the USA and Thailand for her sake!! 

Thank you WingFat for the benefit of the doubt - No, I'm not 1 of those "secretly wealthy" trying to milk the system. As I said in my OP, I'm a non-filer because it's what the IRS told me to be.

 

Pilot3Boz - My wife has never been to the states and, IMHO, wouldn't survive the 3 yr living requirement to qualify for citizenship and/or collection of my SS after I die. (Thai withdraw and isolation from friends/family would killed her, metaphorically) We've been married for 17 of the 21 yrs I've been here in Thailand and believe me when I say, we've looked everywhere we can think of to get her full spousal benefits w/o the living requirement. (She's a law professor and I'm a recently covid retired teacher)<-a whole other story)

She has friends that are married to Americans and I have American friends married to Thais and they all say the same thing as the IRS; "Minimum 3 yr residency".

If you know something new I'd love to hear about it as we've pretty much lost hope on that front. ????

[lopburi3]

On 6/1/2021 at 6:19 AM, tonray said:

– An American citizen or green card holder whose spouse has no US social security number and who file jointly using a taxpayer ID number (also known as an ITIN) – neither can receive a Stimulus Payment.

Totally false information - the first payment was governed by above but it was rescinded and all payments are payable to citizen spouse of ITIN holder and can be retroactively claimed as refund on current tax payments.  Been there - done that - as have thousands of others.

 

As for OP - what can be said!

Edited June 3, 2021 by lopburi3

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Totally false information - the first payment was governed by above but it was rescinded and all payments are payable to citizen spouse of ITIN holder and can be retroactively claimed as refund on current tax payments.  Been there - done that - as have thousands of others.

 

As for OP - what can be said!

Thanks for the update...hard to verify Internet info at times.

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, tonray said:

Thanks for the update...hard to verify Internet info at times.

Know what you mean - must be an old YouTube - the payments this year did not require any action and the payment from last year obtained by filling out form for current tax.