Filing taxes jointly with foreign income... What steps should we take?

General
1

Hey everyone!
My wife and I just moved to the US. I work here, but my wife is still working remotely for a company back in her home country. Her income is taxable in the US, and we need to report it to the IRS. We haven’t filed any paperwork since we arrived seven months ago. I’ve got my W-2, but she doesn’t have any US documents, just a foreign bank account where her payments are deposited. I’m thinking about filing jointly, but I’m not sure how to handle her situation before we file. I think we need to fill out some forms for the period she was here, but I’m still figuring out what needs to be done first.

2

You don’t need to file anything right away. The deadline is April 15.

3

Dru said:
You don’t need to file anything right away. The deadline is April 15.

Why do we have to wait? I saw that the tax deadline is on April 15.

4

Pax said:

Dru said:
You don’t need to file anything right away. The deadline is April 15.

Why do we have to wait? I saw that the tax deadline is on April 15.

You literally just said that you already read the same thing I just told you.

5

@Dru
I get that! I’m just wondering what documents we need to file for my wife’s income, not the dates themselves.

6

Pax said:
@Dru
I get that! I’m just wondering what documents we need to file for my wife’s income, not the dates themselves.

You’ll file Form 1040.

7

Pax said:
@Dru
I get that! I’m just wondering what documents we need to file for my wife’s income, not the dates themselves.

You should file jointly. Since your wife has no tax withheld from her pay, consider making estimated tax payments. The first payment for 2025 is due on April 15, same as 2024.

8

Here’s a link for more info on foreign income: Persons Employed by a Foreign Employer | Internal Revenue Service

9

If your wife is considered an ‘employee’ and not an ‘independent contractor,’ her employer should have withheld US federal and state taxes and payroll taxes. They should have issued her a W-2, showing her wages and the tax withholding.

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@Wynn
She works for a company outside the US. She’s just here living and working remotely. If I report her income from the past 7 months, I know she will need to pay taxes on it. But she doesn’t have a W-2 or anything similar from her home country.

11

@Pax
If she’s doing the work in the US, then she’s considered employed in the US, and the employer must follow US employment laws. It doesn’t matter that the company is based abroad.

12

Wynn said:
@Pax
If she’s doing the work in the US, then she’s considered employed in the US, and the employer must follow US employment laws. It doesn’t matter that the company is based abroad.

I understand that US laws can’t be enforced outside the US. But if you’re suggesting that proving the source of her income could help, I can try to get something similar to a W-2 from her employer.