@MarilynG1 Thank you for being precise on this answer. The only question I have remaining would be about entering the adjusted tax withholding. If I do it the way you are saying in the community property section, TurboTax is telling me that I will have no choice but to paper file. And then I would be curious why TaxSlayer would instruct to actually enter a modified spouse W-2 which suggests avoiding paper filing:
- You will be required to claim half of the total income and half the total tax withholdings for each W-2 on your return. Change the amount in Box 1 to reflect one-half of the total community income for wages. Change the amount in Box 2 to reflect one-half of the total federal tax withholdings. If the W-2s are originally the spouse's W-2s, leave boxes 3-6 blank. If the W-2 is issued to you, report boxes 3-6 as it was reported on your W-2.
https://support.taxslayer.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019084471-How-do-I-complete-the-Married-Filing-Se...
I can’t imagine the IRS and CA allow different tax software to file differently and I would prefer not to paper file if possible.
