Currently mid 50s, I've lived in Japan under SOFA, working for Uncle Sam my entire adult life (grew up here). I've maxed US Social Security, and filed "Married-Filing-Jointly" the entire time, my Japanese wife having an ITIN. Married 30+ years.
As I understand it, once I die, my wife gets 50% of the benefit. I've read where Japan has been declaring a foreign souse's foreign "mandated" pension as an inheritance, should the foreign spouse die first, and taxing the recipient on the total amount, assuming a life span of 89 years…
The question I have is, because we were filing jointly, isn't she a recipient of the benefit, and it not an inheritance? My portion dies with me, and she continues to get her part of the benefit.
Thanks for any info.
by FukaNanbu