☰
✕
Sign In

Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
Returning Member
posted Jul 12, 2023 3:14:42 PM

Student loan and tax filing status

I've been seperated, legally married, filing jointly for about 6 years or so.  Wife makes significantly more than I.

I'll have student loans coming due in a few years and am under the impression that as long as we continue to file a joint return, my loan payments will reflect our ability to pay per our combined salaries.  Obviously, I'm only living on my salary alone.

Would it make more sense to start filing as married, filing seperately next year?  Does it make a difference?

Thanks in advance.

0 3 2809
3 Replies
Level 15
Jul 12, 2023 4:17:19 PM

Can’t say without knowing your entire financial and tax situation. You can do it both ways and choose the one more advantageous. 

Returning Member
Jul 12, 2023 4:29:24 PM

Well, simply, let's say I make 50,000 and my wife, from whom I seperated, makes 50,000.  Filing taxes as married, joint, makes it appear I'm in a household with 100k in income.

Reality is that I live on my 50k alone.

So I can only assume that my student loan payments will be significantly less if they consider my income as 50k rather than 100k?

Level 15
Jul 12, 2023 4:41:14 PM

While it is true that your payments are affected by your AGI, filing separately also affects certain credits and deductions and standard deduction.  Only by comparing the two methods can you see the effect on your entire return.