After searching the US IRS website, and a couple other websites, I am frustrated and am taking the easy route.

I am sure some US citizen living in Thailand has applied for a SSN for their wife.

Could you please assist me in the process?

I'm certainly not an expert and don't remember all the answers, BUT, your wife must live in the US and have a green card. I went through this years ago and had to settle for a taxpayer identification number. That allowed me to file joint income tax returns. Since we have no intentions of living in the US, it was impossible for us.

Once your wife ENTERS the US with non-imm. status she can then go to the SS office and request a number which will be sent to your US address within about a month.

I'm certainly not an expert and don't remember all the answers, BUT, your wife must live in the US and have a green card. I went through this years ago and had to settle for a taxpayer identification number. That allowed me to file joint income tax returns. Since we have no intentions of living in the US, it was impossible for us.

Thanks Gary. I am under the impression that she has to first be denied a SSN before she can be processed for an ITIN. IRS makes nothing easy do they?

Enjoy your new years.

You need an ITIN number if she is Thai, not a SS#.

I'm certainly not an expert and don't remember all the answers, BUT, your wife must live in the US and have a green card. I went through this years ago and had to settle for a taxpayer identification number. That allowed me to file joint income tax returns. Since we have no intentions of living in the US, it was impossible for us.

Thanks Gary. I am under the impression that she has to first be denied a SSN before she can be processed for an ITIN. IRS makes nothing easy do they?

Enjoy your new years.

Sorry, I don't remember. I was VERY irritated with the "Infernal" Revenue because they gave me a difficult time getting the TIN. I eventually had to go to the US Embassy in Bangkok for additional paperwork. Even then I had problems. I finally sent the IRS the entire package of all the original documents and told them that I'm sure the US Embassy in Bangkok will be interested to know that they also don't know the correct procedure for obtaining the TIN. The IRS never answered my letters but I have been filing joint returns since then. I still have never seen the number. You are correct, NOTHING is easy when dealing with the US government

Unless living in US or a US citizen only ITIN is available and now that has to be done in conjunction with annual IRS Income Tax filing rather than being requested as previously. You should be able to find full information with a Google of ITIN.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf

Unless living in US or a US citizen only ITIN is available and now that has to be done in conjunction with annual IRS Income Tax filing rather than being requested as previously. You should be able to find full information with a Google of ITIN.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf

Yep. It's quite simple, on the 1040 check married filing jointly, in the top right box for spouse SSN put the words "ITIN TO BE REQUESTED" and attach a translated and ministry of foriegn affairs-stamped copy of the kor ror 3 (the fancy design single sheet of paper) along with a completed W-7.

FYI by doing this without sending any additional information to the IRS you are "electing for your spouse to be treated as a US resident for income tax purposes" which has a number of ramifications, including that you now have to include her income on your return.

A few months after filing it you should get a letter from the IRS stating that they have issued an ITIN and what the number is.. Regardless of the wording states will accept the ITIN in place of an SSN if you have to file a state tax return.

Edit: I am trying to attach a copy of the letter I got but something is chewing up the file, I'll try later...

Edited December 27, 201015 yr by neuf

electing for your spouse to be treated as a US resident for income tax purposes

It used to be that you had to include a signed paper to return that you understood the above the first time you used joint filing. Has that requirement been removed?

electing for your spouse to be treated as a US resident for income tax purposes

It used to be that you had to include a signed paper to return that you understood the above the first time you used joint filing. Has that requirement been removed?

If you don't provide any additional information pertating to the W-7 and simply fill out the 1040 as if she were a resident (no funny business with 1040NR returns) then the IRS will make that assumption.

Once your wife ENTERS the US with non-imm. status she can then go to the SS office and request a number which will be sent to your US address within about a month.

Note that you can apply for the ITIN while living abroad even if your spouse has never stepped foot out of Thailand as long as you are legally married. No need for an SSN denial.

Edited December 27, 201015 yr by neuf

No problemo. Across from any Home Depot or anywhere they sell those matricula consular cards, you can get SS#s and DLs to boot.

The key to the ITIN process is to provide the IRS with the documents required. This usually means a US consulate certified copy of the wife's Thai passport with husbands surname. Acceptable documents are listed on the application form, be especially careful to get them certified as instructed.

Yep. It's quite simple, on the 1040 check married filing jointly, in the top right box for spouse SSN put the words "ITIN TO BE REQUESTED" and attach a translated and ministry of foriegn affairs-stamped copy of the kor ror 3 (the fancy design single sheet of paper) along with a completed W-7.

Geh, also, you really should read the directions of the form before taking the advice of some random stranger on the internet (esp. with regards to the IRS) but I just remembered you'll also need to send an MfA-certified copy of her passport identification page (no need for translation as it's already in English) along with the certified Kor Ror 3.

The key to the ITIN process is to provide the IRS with the documents required. This usually means a US consulate certified copy of the wife's Thai passport with husbands surname. Acceptable documents are listed on the application form, be especially careful to get them certified as instructed.

The US embassy explicitly refuses to do this anymore (even for tax purposes as the W-7 claims should be possible). You must get the copy certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in TH (and then, if you want to be especially sure you can get an apostille from the embassy verifying the MfA stamp only, however this is unnecessary, the IRS does not require that much verification.)

Geh, also, you really should read the directions of the form before taking the advice of some random stranger on the internet (esp. with regards to the IRS) but I just remembered you'll also need to send an MfA-certified copy of her passport identification page (no need for translation as it's already in English) along with the certified Kor Ror 3.

And one more thing... if you want to save a little money (but gain a lot of anxiety ) you can mail your spouse's actual passport instead of paying 200/400THB for a certified copy. The IRS will mail it back to the address listed on the W-7 form. This also goes for the marriage certificate, but you still need to mail a certified translation of it so there's not much point of that...

here's the letter from the IRS describing the ITIN issuance.

Yep. It's quite simple, on the 1040 check married filing jointly, in the top right box for spouse SSN put the words "ITIN TO BE REQUESTED" and attach a translated and ministry of foriegn affairs-stamped copy of the kor ror 3 (the fancy design single sheet of paper) along with a completed W-7.

Geh, also, you really should read the directions of the form before taking the advice of some random stranger on the internet (esp. with regards to the IRS) but I just remembered you'll also need to send an MfA-certified copy of her passport identification page (no need for translation as it's already in English) along with the certified Kor Ror 3.

Acceptable documents are listed on the application form, be especially careful to get them certified as instructed.