Tax status while waiting for my wife to join me?

I'm arriving in Ireland in December on a Green Card, and my wife will (eventually) be joining me when her Join Spouse visa is approved.

When registering in Welfare for a PPS number, what tax status can I claim - single, or married (single income)?

When you get into the PPS office, you will need to fill out an application form and make sure you tick on the married section and give your wife details there. They might be looking for your marriage certificate, on the safe side keep a copy of it with you.

When your wife join you here, you will need to go to the PPS office again for her PPS number. At that time you can claim each other tax credits, depends how you want to divide the tax credits. If she is not working than you can claim all of the credits and it will help you in tax. If she will be working than you can divide equally or depends what way you want to proceed.

Worse case scenario: If your wife do not join you until the end of 2015 than you can get a letter from your country's revenue office that your wife was not working in 2015 in her home country and you were supporting her financially. Submit this letter along with your P60 to the revenue office and you will get some money back BUT this is only if she do not work for the whole year in your home country.

Any question let me know.

Hi! Thank you for the very detailed answer. I'll make sure to bring along our marriage certificate, and a copy of her passport's first page as well.

Just one thing - when I called Welfare a few days ago, regarding which papers I need for my PPS number, I asked about my wife, and they said that she won't be able to get one until she finds a job! Is that right?

EDIT: Typo.

I heard about this stupid rule before, but what if she is not allowed to work ? You are fully supporting her financially and you want to claim her tax credits. I mean if she is on stamp 3.

What if she needs the PPS number for private medical insurance ? And what if she need PPS for a hospital ?

It's completely absurd, and will cost me a pretty penny in take-home salary difference when she arrives!

While we're on the topic, can you confirm if these papers will be enough for me to register for my PPS number:

1) Passport;
2) GNIB card;
3) Green Card work permit;
4) Letter from employer, as I won't have permanent residence yet;
5) Receipt (or letter?) from the B&B I will be staying at;
6) Employment contract?

Thanks!

Most important thing, you need proof of address in the form of utility bill / bank statement and if you don't have any than a letter from your landlord confirming you are residing at xxx address.

But what do I do if I don't have a place rented yet?

I was told that a confirmation letter from my employer, and receipt from hostel/hotel/B&B I'm temporarily staying at would do.

Plus, a few letting agencies I rang insisted on me providing a PPS number with my application.

I think receipt from hostel/hotel/B&B should work. Try to sort out the PPS matter first thing tomorrow morning if possible

That's the plan - GNIB card first, PPS immediately after. Will let you know how everything panned out, thanks!

Managed to apply for a PPS number without permanent residence, but with a letter from the B&B and a letter from my employer. They said I need to inform them of my new address when I get an apartment.

Also, a letter from my employer (but explicitly mentioning the address of the B&B I'm staying at) was enough to open a bank account in the same bank my employer has an account.

The Garda, on the other hand, insist on a proof of permanent residence for registration with the GNIB.