Getting an IRS tax number (ITIN) for new Vietnamese spouse

14POSTS

last year

Question for fellow Americans with Vietnamese spouse:

American guy here recently married to Vietnamese girl. I'm preparing to get started on my taxes, and just found out that I need to get my wife an IRS taxpayer number (ITIN) before I can include her on my taxes.

It looks like they want me to send her original passport, or a "certified copy".

Obviously, I'd prefer not to send her actual passport.

But I'm not sure what qualifies as an "certified copy"

Has anyone been through this process before, and if so, can you enlighten me as to the process and what to expect?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks

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SteinNebraska ViP

1297POSTS

last year

Question - do you plan to move back to the US in the next year or stay in Vietnam?

The reason I ask is if you are moving back in the next year the easiest thing to do is file as single this year and when you arrive here you can simply file an amended return after she gets her SSN. You will then get and additional refund as married filing jointly with the higher standard deduction. That's what I did before moving back to the US.

If you are staying in Vietnam it's less of an issue tax-wise as you would get the foreign income tax credit so it wouldn't impact your return as much but then you would have to send the passport or certified copy of the passport. I don't know if they will accept the Vietnamese "red stamp" certified copy or if you need to do it at the US consulate as I never did that.

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

7595POSTS

last year

...I don't know if they will accept the Vietnamese "red stamp" certified copy or if you need to do it at the US consulate as I never did that. - @SteinNebraska

Some people will disagree with me but I suggest that a two-step process would be the best:

1. Have the passport copy certified at a MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) office.

2. Then take that certification and her original passport to a notarization appointment at either the US embassy or consulate.

We did something similar once we were married and we wanted to make sure that my wife always had proof of marriage to me.

Once our copy of the marriage certificate was authenticated by MOFA, the embassy (Hanoi) notarized the authentication by MOFA as being a genuine certification by the government of Vietnam.

dcattycpa New member

5POSTS

last year

When we got married, my spouse was living in VN and had not traveled to the USA so no point of entry on her passport. So we filed the Form W-7 with her original VN National ID card and an original Birth Certificate as well as a certified English version of her birth Certificate.

Please note, although the instructions say that the original documents submitted would be returned, we never got them back, not even a letter. 1 of the reasons why we did not submit her original passport, I have no faith in the U.S. government when it comes to original documents, unless I have more than 1 original.

I hope this helps, but I would not submit an original passport, but you can make your own decision on that matter.