State tax filing

The TurboTax CD/Download product (found HERE) is the preferred product to file your federal returns jointly, and state returns separately. 

Here is how to do this in TurboTax CD/Download:

1. Prepare your joint federal return in TurboTax as you normally would. 
2. Prepare a mock Married Filing Separately (MFS) federal return for each spouse who will file separately in any state.  You will not file these federal returns, but they will be used to create the state returns.
3. For the separate return, include only the income and deductions that apply to that state. 
4. File your joint federal return as prepared in the joint file.
5. If filing jointly in one state, transmit this return with your federal file.  Otherwise, transmit only your federal file from the original MFJ return.
6. Using the mock MFS file that you have now created, file each state return separately.  You may have to print and mail state returns when filing separately from your federal return. 

If you prefer to use online TurboTax, you follow the same instructions. Instead of creating three files on your computer, you will create three TurboTax accounts, each with a unique user name and password.