Questions regarding forms

Hello, I am a US citizen that married and moved to the UK in 2012. I learned this year that i need to keep filing my us tax returns, and so I'm in the process of doing that now, but I'm at a loss on a few things, namely, which forms to use.

I do not earn much, close to £650 a month. My wife is the main earner until I can get a better job. It seems like it should be a pretty simple thing to report this, but I'm not sure what forms I should be using. I've seen many recommendations on here to use the 1040 form, but then I started hearing about 1040nr, and I'm unsure if I should be using it and what it is exactly? Also, what other forms do I need, if any? It seems like there are several options that might be helpful such as foreign tax credit, etc. As all my money is getting taxed in the UK(no US income), I shouldn't get taxed in the US, as I understand the treaty.

It's been a big headache trying to understand this, any help will be very appreciated.

Thanks

You might want to read this posted today, with the following advice.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=83035.0;topicseen

Taxpayers abroad can now use IRS Free File to prepare and electronically file their returns for free. This means both U.S. citizens and resident aliens living abroad with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of $58,000 or less can use brand-name software to prepare their returns and then e-file them for free. A second option, Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms, has no income limit and is best suited to people who are comfortable preparing their own tax return. Check out the e-file link on IRS.gov to find out more about these and other electronic filing options. E-file and Free File will be available until Oct. 15, 2014.

It sounds as if you have overlooked the saving clause in the treaty.

You'll probably wish to file form 1040 and maybe form 2555-EZ; but there is insufficient data to be certain here.

Hello, I am a US citizen that married and moved to the UK in 2012. I learned this year that i need to keep filing my us tax returns, and so I'm in the process of doing that now, but I'm at a loss on a few things, namely, which forms to use.

I do not earn much, close to £650 a month. My wife is the main earner until I can get a better job. It seems like it should be a pretty simple thing to report this, but I'm not sure what forms I should be using. I've seen many recommendations on here to use the 1040 form, but then I started hearing about 1040nr, and I'm unsure if I should be using it and what it is exactly? Also, what other forms do I need, if any? It seems like there are several options that might be helpful such as foreign tax credit, etc. As all my money is getting taxed in the UK(no US income), I shouldn't get taxed in the US, as I understand the treaty.

It's been a big headache trying to understand this, any help will be very appreciated.

Thanks

You won't ever be using Form 1040NR unless you decide to renounce your U.S. citizenship or lose it in some other way (that form is for nonresident aliens if they have U.S. tax obligations, and as long as you're a U.S. citizen that won't apply to you).

Hello, I am a US citizen that married and moved to the UK in 2012. I learned this year that i need to keep filing my us tax returns, and so I'm in the process of doing that now, but I'm at a loss on a few things, namely, which forms to use.

You will be using the same forms as any other US citizen, so 1040....NOT 1040NR

To simplify your (and your spouse's taxes) I would file "married, single".

Just fill out the 1040 as you've always done and use the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion of Foreign Tax Credits. You will probably have zero US tax to pay. Watch out for jointly owned accounts and whether the level of your foreign accounts opens you up to FBAR and 8938 filing.

To simplify your (and your spouse's taxes) I would file "married, single".

Actually it's called "married filing separately" - you can only use the true "single" status if you are actually single (or before last year's SCOTUS ruling if your marriage was an unrecognized same-sex one).