I quite understand the whole thing with the registration. The process itself of going to London and sorting it all out with the expense and such is simply not an option for us right now, due to schedules, finances, and health issues.
I rather suspected I wasn't going to be able to file with the children as dependents without SSNs, however, I was curious as to whether or not I could file without listing them as dependents or whether I was required to put them on as dependents. I realise listing them might end up with us having some tax credits, however, my main concern is that I would like to sort the tax stuff and don't want to have to wait until after a trip to London is feasible to do so. If and when I eventually get them registered, and then subsequently put them on as dependents, I would expect they would raise eyebrows and I would probably get audited or something (as they'd be wondering where these children all of a sudden came from lol).
I was initially told years ago that if I made well under the threshold, that I didn't need to file but that I could still file to keep a paper trail, so to speak. I know briefly people were saying that DH (who is a UKC) would need to get a SSN for me to file taxes in the US, and that went over like a lead balloon with both DH and (to be honest) myself. I don't feel the US government needs all of DH's details. Don't even get me started on the whole thing about whether or not DSs will have to register for the draft or file US taxes when they are older even if they've never set foot in the US. It's a real sore point with us, and we've seen much conflicting information on it as well. The taxes hassle just seems to bring it all to the front. I think to some extent a lot of the reason I haven't filed is a combination of the confusion with the forms, the fact that I have made well under the threshold, and the whole SSN nonsense.
