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Get your taxes done using TurboTax
Since you are married, your best option is to file a joint return. Head of household status is generally available only to a single person (or a married person separated from their spouse for the latter half of the year) raising a child. Even if you did qualify for HOH status, she would be considered "married filing separately"; if she gets SSDI then 50 to 85% of her SS check would be taxable under that status. (SSI, the other option for low-income disabled people, is not taxable.)
Though in MOST cases persons receiving only Social Security (including SSDI) don't need to file, that is NOT always the case. As I suggested above, married persons filing separate returns are generally taxed on at least 50% of their total SS check regardless of amount, possibly up to 85% depending on amount and other income. Also, in some cases lump-sum SSDI payments may be big enough in and of themselves to trigger SS taxation. If not sure, complete IRS Notice 703 on the back of your wife's SSA-1099 to see if she may need to file.
Though in MOST cases persons receiving only Social Security (including SSDI) don't need to file, that is NOT always the case. As I suggested above, married persons filing separate returns are generally taxed on at least 50% of their total SS check regardless of amount, possibly up to 85% depending on amount and other income. Also, in some cases lump-sum SSDI payments may be big enough in and of themselves to trigger SS taxation. If not sure, complete IRS Notice 703 on the back of your wife's SSA-1099 to see if she may need to file.
May 31, 2019
9:34 PM