Adding a w2 and owing thousands

[heyemily]

My first time filing jointly married and I didn’t know all income went on one W2. I thought we both filed returns and they are linked through our corresponding info, I didn’t realize it meant literally joint return. I finished filing and received my refund, he did not, and I learned this is a problem after his refund was rejected. I went to amend through TurboTax and added my husbands W2s and now instead of a refund I owe thousands of dollars. How? Did I screw up that badly? Am I doing something wrong?

[JohnB5677]

I'm not quite sure what happened.  There are two options for a married couple.

• Married Filing Jointly  
  • You file one tax return
  • Both incomes are combined.
  • You get one refund or payment
• Married Filing Separate
  • You file two tax returns
  • Each individual posts only there income
  • Both of you have to either use Itemized Deductions, or you must both use the Standard Deduction.
  • You get two separate refunds or payments

It sounds like there is something that has to be corrected.

[heyemily]

I filed married jointly, but skipped the part where I was supposed to add my husbands w2. I thought that he also had to file and indicate he was married filing jointly. I didn’t realize it all went on one form. We had married filing separately the year before so I thought it was the same idea, each person fills out a form. When I went through turbo tax to amend it, I suddenly owed thousands, more than what I had received as a refund. My husband couldn’t receive a refund, clearly, because he went to file and it was rejected, because I had already filed and been accepted as married filing jointly. I can’t possibly be the first person to make this stupid mistake, I hope?

[DMarkM1]

I'm sure you are not the first or last.  You should enter your husband's W2 information on the amendment for your return and add all of his info in the "My Info" section as your spouse. 

Be sure to also update the filing status to married filing jointly. 

Depending on what his income and withholding is you may owe some of your refund back.  Be sure you explain on the 1040X what happened and what you are changing. (Filing status and adding W2 income).

If you need assistance you might try contacting a representative using this link.