OK, after listening to other TT users, here is the trick to e-filing ALL of your returns in a RDP:
- Prepare both your Federal returns, and e-file them. DO NOT start working on your "mock" Federal joint-return yet. And e-file both of your Federal returns. Call these files, e.g., Joe Fed Return and John Fed Return. This "stamps" each file as having been e-filed to the IRS.
- After e-filing your Fed returns, select the Federal file (out of the two) that requires the least modifications to become the basis for your mock-Federal joint file, i.e., that's the Fed file that you will NOT file to the IRS (as the IRS does not accept a Joint Return for a RDP) - say it's Joe Fed Return. Think about the modifications that you will need to make to bring all of your incomes from both of you, into one file. And make a copy of that file that you name Joe John Joint Return.
- Make your modifications to bring all of both your income as if you were married, e.g., all work wages or earned interest are no longer split, but "joint" numbers. This file then created your State Return. You may need to make some adjustments to your State Return, e.g., for charity donations that were not recognized by the IRS b/c you took the Standard Deduction.
- When you have completed all of your modifications to have a Joint Return, now you can e-file it with your state because you used a file that was "stamped" by TT as having been filed to the IRS; e.g., in this example, Joe Fed Return file was stamped, and now that you made modifications to that file to be a "joint return", it still remembers that it was used to file a return to the IRS.
Hope this works for you - it sure did for me!
NOTE: pay attention to the notes that you get after you file your Federal Returns (Joe and John) - for some returns, the IRS will require that you print and mail certain forms from your Federal Returns to the IRS. It sure beats having to print the whole return - even to the State, if you can't e-file it!!!
