Q1: I am on L2 visa in US, which allows me to work in US for a company which has offices in US and India. I earn my salary partially in US dollars. I remit dollars to my India bank account to make my mortgage interest payments. Can I claim mortgage interest, as itemized deduction in US tax return, for my house in India.
Q2: I am married, but I am living in US alone since April 2009. I have SSN. My wife lives in India and she doesn't have a SSN. I think I should not include her in my US tax return. Can I file as single, if not what should I file as.
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About the Expert
I graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1992, and obtained my law degree, (J.D.), from Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire in 1996. In the past, I have maintained a solo law practice and have also been an associate in other law practices. What my office, Nakata Consulting, LLC, provides is professional planning and counseling services and federal, state, and local tax planning and preparation. Most importantly, we do this at affordable prices, all by offering solutions, and implementing strategies to help seniors and their families’ problem solve. When not planning or preparing income taxes, my office works to match seniors and their families up with providers in the elder service industry. We can assist seniors and their families with estate and elder planning (preparation of short term and long term benefits application(s), health care and durable power(s) of attorney (advanced directives), wills, trusts). We can locate and work directly with companion, home health agencies and geriatric care managers. We provide financial counseling, property management and book keeping services, and work with financial planning service providers to assist individuals with the management of their assets. Most importantly we do this at affordable prices, all by offering solutions, and implementing strategies to help seniors and their families’ problem solve. With the client base I work with, I am called upon often to find other local small business people to help service the needs of those I work with, and I would welcome the opportunity to learn more about other small businesses, and see if there is a way that we can help each other. I have a growing network of service providers and small business people I work with, and often I find I can find solutions for folks by matching businesses up with other business folk, to everyone’s benefit. To that end, we also assist small businesses with choosing what type or business entity to form, and registration of and organization of their business. We can work with small business owners to create growth development ideas, by helping them find service providers to support them with start up and growth decisions, including but not limited to software, equipment, web site development and marketing. View Profile
The IRS will only allow you to deduct interest paid on US property, so the interest for the property in India would not be allowed.
The IRS will only allow you to claim your wife as a joint filer or dependent if she has a taxpayer identification number or a social security number. You can apply for a ITIN for her and if you receive it you can claim her. Absent that she can not be claimed.
If I identify your visa status correctly you should be filing a NR-1040, and as such you can not file a joint return, but you may be able to claim her as a dependent.
Please contact me if you have further questions.
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Joe Carreiro
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