US tax forms: having to send by mail as hubby has no SSN# ?

Hi,
I have a question for those of you who file US tax returns, who also have British citizen spouses who have never lived in the US.

I've lived here almost two years. Thankfully I have a tax guy back home who is great, and has other clients abroad. Previously, he'd filed electronically for me.  Then I got married and moved here. SO..

Last year, he actually sent me (in snailmail) my tax returns here; and said that I'd have to sign them and send them (again, snailmail) myself to the IRS. Why? 

Apparently, he can no longer file them electronically, because the IRS electronic system cannot accept it -- because my British husband doesnt have a social security number. If that field is left blank, the system doesnt work, and you have to file manually.

How stupid is that?

So I had to send it all in the mail, w a letter explaining why my husband doesnt have a social security number (he's British, and has never lived or worked in the US).  Then both the IRS and my state sent me letters saying they couldnt give me my owed money because I hadnt filled in my husband's SSN. So I had to send them both additional letters, and then it was all fine. Interestingly, they had no problem giving me my money electronically (they just deposited into my US bank account as in years past).


My Q is:  DO I HAVE TO DO THIS THE REST OF MY LIFE?  IE spend money reimbursing my tax guy to send me the stuff here (risking it getting lost); and spending more money sending it to the IRS (and risking it even more getting lost, because apparently Royal Mail's airsure and recorded delivery dont really tell you if it was actually delivered); and wasting time and energy?

Is there another way, by which it can be filed electronically?

Advice?

Whoa...I'm in a similar situation and I never sent a letter.  In the box where it asked for my husband's SSN, I just wrote NRA (non-resident alien) because that's what the guy on the IRS helpline told me to do.  Maybe I DID need to send a letter and that's why I haven't seen my refund yet. 

My Q is:  DO I HAVE TO DO THIS THE REST OF MY LIFE?  IE spend money reimbursing my tax guy to send me the stuff here (risking it getting lost); and spending more money sending it to the IRS (and risking it even more getting lost, because apparently Royal Mail's airsure and recorded delivery dont really tell you if it was actually delivered); and wasting time and energy?

Is there another way, by which it can be filed electronically?

Advice?

At this time, you cannot file electronically.  The computer systems cannot recognise alpha charaters in number fields.  I would get your accountant to give you a soft copy -- via email or other media -- so that you don't have to wait for it in the post from him.  But then you will need to physically mail yourself.

And you should have put NRA in the SSN field rather than providing a letter.

Whoa...I'm in a similar situation and I never sent a letter.  In the box where it asked for my husband's SSN, I just wrote NRA (non-resident alien) because that's what the guy on the IRS helpline told me to do.  Maybe I DID need to send a letter and that's why I haven't seen my refund yet. 

You don't need a letter.  What you did is correct.  Refunds are running a bit late right now, particularly if you are waiting for a check refund.

Sara is right - you cannot file electronically but your tax guy should have typed in the space that your spouse is an NRA.  Most professional software will do this if he sets it up right.

Think you'll find that even if you both had a SSN, you'd still be stuck with mailing because the electronic filing system won't accept foreign addresses (at least that's what TurboTax tells me).

risking it even more getting lost, because apparently Royal Mail's airsure and recorded delivery dont really tell you if it was actually delivered)

But a handy hint on this one: although it's true that the Royal Mail won't track anything after it's left the country, if you go to the USPS tracking website and enter in the tracking number (the one that ends GB) it should show up there. At least it has for me in the past....

Wow,
Thanks for the replies so far. (I wish I'd known about this site a year ago!)

I'll tell my tax guy to write in "NRA" (funny that Natl Rifle Association has the same initials... ).   

But I guess I'll have to budget money each year to send the damn thing in by Royal Mail.  But those are great suggestions-- to see if my tax guy can send me the return, scanned, via email or something so I can print it out.  Also a great suggestion about going to the USPS site and entering the Royal Mail tracking number.

An additional Q: I know the US Embassy in London has some kind of IRS office.  I dont suppose they have a service where you can give them your completed tax return, and they can make sure it gets to the US? 

Thanks!

additional Q: I know the US Embassy in London has some kind of IRS office.  I dont suppose they have a service where you can give them your completed tax return, and they can make sure it gets to the US? 

Thanks!

Best thing to do is check this site & send them an email with your question: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/irs/index.htm. Then let us know what they say. 

You can indeed hand deliver or mail your US returns to the Tax Attache at IRS office in London. She packages them up & sends them over to the processing center to be handled.

The TD F 90-22.1 for 2008 can be hand delivered - but not mailed - to the Tax Attache at the IRS at the London Embassy; according to the instructions.  If you want to mail it you can only mail it to Detroit.  How crazy is that!

I've always just popped mine in the letter box and never had a problem.

Can I ask something I have never had to file (my mom filled in a form for me as I am disabled) what would I do? I have never worked by the way not through a want of trying but just never been able to get work.

The other thing is my wife though having never lived in the US has a ssn that can only be used for bank accounts not for work she was one of the last people to received this back in 1990. What would we do as she has never lived or worked in the US.

Could I claim tax back now I have 4 children now or what ever everyone else seems to be claiming I have no idea of anything I might be entitled to (nothing most likely) but I thought I would ask as you never know. The boys are british by the way and not US Citizens.



cheers

Indy

Hi,
Okay, finally got a reply from the London US Embassy, re their policy on accepting completed IRS returns:

"We will accept 1040 returns from individuals and send them on to the Service Center in the US . For No charge. You may drop off your complete tax return (1040 including all attachments as well as any other forms that you would like to file) here at this office. It will be postmarked the day that you drop off these forms. That is the day that the IRS will consider the return filed."

I have an extension till October, so since this is FREE, I'm gonna do it!

Do remember the IRS office is only open limited hours, you may have to queue to get through Embassy security and AGAIN at the IRS - and the Embassy will move when they have built the new one!