Married to a Japanese citizen overseas - how do I file US taxes now?

If you're legally married in Japan, that marriage is recognized by the US government for tax purposes. The location of your marriage doesn't matter - what matters is your legal status on December 31st of the tax year. You have two options: "Married Filing Jointly" or "Married Filing Separately." To file jointly, your Japanese spouse would need an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) since she doesn't have an SSN. Filing jointly means reporting both your income and hers to the IRS. Alternatively, you can choose "Married Filing Separately" which might make more sense in your situation. This way, you only report your own income, but you may lose certain tax benefits that come with filing jointly. Since you're planning to move to Japan, you should also know that US citizens must file US tax returns regardless of where they live. However, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit can help prevent double taxation.

I was in your exact situation a few years ago when I married my wife in Thailand. I was totally confused about all the filing requirements and tax implications. What helped me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my specific situation. You upload your documents, and they break down exactly how international marriage affects your filing status plus any treaty benefits that apply to your situation. The tool flagged that I qualified for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion even before I moved abroad, which my regular tax software totally missed. It also walked me through the ITIN application process for my wife, which saved us tons of paperwork headaches.

Just wanted to report back - I finally tried taxr.ai after asking about it here. Total game changer for my situation! I uploaded our marriage certificate and my wife's Japanese income statements, and it immediately identified that filing separately was actually better in our case due to her income level in Japan. It also showed me exactly how to claim the Foreign Housing Exclusion when I move to Japan next year, which I had no idea about. The document analysis even caught that I needed to file FBAR forms for our joint bank accounts overseas! That would have been a $10,000 penalty if missed. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with international tax situations.

Hey, I see you're getting some good advice here. One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you're having trouble reaching the IRS with questions about international filing or ITIN applications, check out https://claimyr.com. I used them last year when I was desperately trying to reach someone at the IRS about my husband's ITIN application that was taking forever. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically they hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to answer. Saved me from spending 3+ hours on hold - I literally tried calling the international taxpayer line for weeks and could never get through. Once I finally spoke to an actual IRS agent, they resolved my issue in like 10 minutes. The ITIN was processed within two weeks after that call.

I was so skeptical about Claimyr that I almost didn't try it. But after another frustrating morning of calling the IRS international line and getting disconnected, I gave it a shot. I'm shocked to say it actually worked! Got a call back in about 2 hours and was connected to an IRS agent who answered all my questions about filing with my foreign spouse. The agent confirmed I needed to use married filing separately for my situation and explained exactly what documentation I needed for my wife's ITIN application. Apparently there were some recent changes to the process that aren't even updated on the IRS website yet. Would have never known this without actually speaking to someone. If you're dealing with international filing situations, it's definitely worth using to get official answers.

One thing to consider - if your Japanese spouse has no US source income, you might be better off filing as "married filing separately" rather than going through the hassle of getting an ITIN and filing jointly. My wife is German, lives in Germany, and has no US income. I've been filing as married filing separately for years with no issues. The main downside is you lose some tax credits and deductions, but depending on your situation, the simplicity might be worth it. Plus, you won't have to deal with reporting your spouse's foreign accounts on FBAR forms if you keep finances separate.

Don't forget that once you move to Japan you'll need to file Form 2555 for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion! This is huge - it lets you exclude up to $128,750 (for 2025) of foreign earned income from US taxation if you meet either the physical presence test or bona fide residence test.

I went through this exact situation when I married my Korean spouse! A few additional things to consider that I learned the hard way: If you decide to get your wife an ITIN and file jointly, be prepared for the timeline - it can take 7-11 weeks to get the ITIN, and you might need to file for an extension if you're doing this during tax season. Also, make sure to get certified copies of her passport from the Japanese consulate or use an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent in Japan rather than trying to mail original documents. One thing I wish someone had told me: if your wife has any financial accounts in Japan with your name on them (even just as a beneficiary), you might need to report those on Form 8938 (FATCA) in addition to FBAR, depending on the account values. The thresholds are different for overseas residents. Also, since you're planning to move to Japan, start keeping detailed records of your time outside the US now. You'll need this for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion physical presence test. I use a simple spreadsheet tracking entry/exit dates - it's saved me so much headache come tax time! Good luck with everything, and congratulations on your marriage!