Independent contractor

Jgoeck — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:54:54 GMT

This is my first year as an independent contractor. I am married but wondering if it’s better to file separately because I’m planning on itemizing

Re: Independent contractor

drc845443 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 19:54:37 GMT

Hello there,

In general, you are better off filing jointly than filing separately. Please note that if you file separately and you itemize deductions, your spouse is required to also itemize deductions.

You have to consider your specific tax situation to decide whether you would benefit from filing separately. In order to do that you can use the What-if analysis tool in the TurboTax desktop software, or create three test returns (your two separate returns, and the joint tax return) to see which option works best for you.

here are some resources with additional topics to consider before you decide whether to file separately or file a joint tax return:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/better-married-couple-file-jointly-separately/L338QHg8G_US_en_US

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-filing-status/compare-married-filing-jointly-married-filing/L6CJYiJ1S_US_en_US

topic Independent contractor in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Independent contractor

Re: Independent contractor