Have a new foreign national spouse?

To file taxes, your spouse is going to need an ITIN!

Here’s what you need to do:

Attach a completed W-7 to your paper filing (with a W-7 you cannot e-file).

Don’t wait until the last minute, though—you’ll need a certified copy of your spouse’s passport.

When you receive your tax return from the IRS, it will include your spouse’s new ITIN.

Might as well make this thread the "official" tax tips tread.

OK, does anyone know if local sales tax deduction applies to us?

After digging through the tax forms I think we can deduct
Mortgage interest on property in Japan
Also it looks like we can deduct any property tax on homes / land.
Automobile registration tax but not the weight tax.

Please add any suggestions on taxes specific to those of us stationed in Japan.

Posted By JB Staff on 01-30-2012 11:48 PM
Have a new foreign national spouse?

To file taxes, your spouse is going to need an ITIN!

Here’s what you need to do:

Attach a completed W-7 to your paper filing (with a W-7 you cannot e-file).

Don’t wait until the last minute, though—you’ll need a certified copy of your spouse’s passport.

When you receive your tax return from the IRS, it will include your spouse’s new ITIN.

This info is correct, but not complete. It was discussed in another thread that I'll look for.  You attach the W-7 to the return, you have to mail it in, but the mailing address is different than a normal tax return. 

*** Here it is ***  http://www.japanbases.com/forums/aft/7856.aspx

Make sure you read the COMPLETE discussion.  Some people posted incorrect mailing addresses, but if you read further down you get the complete story. 

The income tax filing date is normally April 15th, but because this year it falls on Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C., the filing date has been extended to April 17th.

If you are living outside of the U.S., you can get a two-month extension (making the due date June 15th), but it is only an extension to FILE not an extension to PAY.

That means that if you take the two month extension and the IRS determines that you owe money, you will also owe interest on that debt for the two months that have passed since the filing deadline.

If you are owed a tax refund by the IRS, it has no major negative effect.

BAH and Mortgage Interest:

You can still deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes paid on your home, even if you paid for these expenses with your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).

This is not considered to be a “reimbursable” expense.

Death Gratuities:

Any death gratuity paid to the survivor of a member of the Armed Forces is excluded from gross income.

Therefore, although you are receiving money as a result of a death gratuity, you do not have to include it on your 1040 as taxable income.

Tax Calendar and Last Day to File Taxes in 2012:

June 15, 2012 all members of the Armed Services serving outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico are granted an automatic extension.

After June, any unpaid taxes are subject to penalties and interest.