Frank2
New Member

Can a joint filing couple claim different primary residence if they live separately?

My wife and I own two homes jointly. We file tax jointly as well. However, we live separately in the last five years. If we sell both homes this year, can we claim both homes as our primary residence separately, and hence each getting a $250K gain exemption? Or we can claim only one primary residence since we file jointly. If so, can we elect to claim the home with higher appreciation? Thanks.