Can you change filing status from married filing jointly to single after you file?

[Bert0]

We filed our 2023 taxes as married filing jointly can they be amended to single? 

[Opus 17]

Please explain.

If you were legally married as of 12/31/23, you must file as married filing jointly, married filing separately, or maybe head of household (if you meet all the qualifications.). You can't file as single.

Furthermore, after the April 15 filing deadline, if you file a joint return, you are not allowed to amend to married filing separately.  If you try, it will be disallowed. 

If you were not married as all as of 12/31/23 and your joint return was therefore incorrect and not allowed, then you could amend, but the IRS may start asking additional questions.  It is not easy to amend from one joint return to two single returns, how are you trying to do this?  Do you have turbotax installed on your own computer?  Do you have a copy of the original unmodified joint return?

[VolvoGirl]

But are you married?  When did you get married?  If you were married as of Dec 31, 2023 you can only file a joint return or as Married filing Separate.  If is too late to amend and change to MFS.  A Joint return is one return for the both of you combined.  You can amend/change a Joint return to Single for the primary person listed.  The other person will have to file a new Single return without using the Joint return.  You will need to use the Desktop program to do a 2023 return.

[Bert0]

If they were filed as married joint and they needed to be single, they would need to be refiled or? The deadline passed.... so what next?

[Opus 17]

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@Bert0 wrote:

If they were filed as married joint and they needed to be single, they would need to be refiled or? The deadline passed.... so what next?

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If you were not legally married on 12/31/23, then you were not allowed to file jointly.  It would be allowable (and in fact required) to amend to 2 single returns, although the IRS might have some questions for you.  

[Bert0]

What would they ask?

[Opus 17]

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@Bert0 wrote:

What would they ask?

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They might ask for additional verification of your marital status (that you were unmarried) -- because changing from joint to separate is usually not allowed if you are married, they may ask for additional verification of your unmarried status. 

[Mike9241]

if you were legally married on 12/31/2023, single is not an option and changing from Joint to MFS is not allowed after the due date of 4/15/2024