after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

canthony1016 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:15:03 GMT

After adding my husband, I noticed the refund amount down a significate amount and we attempted to file separately and he would owing around $2,000, can you please explain this, and we also have 2 dependents.

Re: after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

xmasbaby0 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:16:04 GMT

That was normal.

WHY DID MY REFUND GO DOWN WHEN I ADDED ANOTHER W-2?

You started off with your first W-2 and your refund looked high? Then you added another W-2 and it stopped looking so good? That is normal. When you added more income, your tax liability increased, so you saw your refund decrease. The program began by giving you your standard deduction—- which lowered your taxable income. (if you are filing joint it took $25,900 off your income right off the bat) So you are not being taxed on as much of the income on that first W-2. Then you added taxable income--so the refund went down. Your refund (or tax due) is based on the total of your income, not “per W-2.” Wait until you have entered ALL of your income and credit/deduction information. You can't really tell anything until it is all entered. That “refund monitor” does not mean anything until everything has been entered.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2273878-why-did-my-refund-drop-when-i-entered-another-w-2

Filing separate returns is usually the worst way to file, especially if you have children.

If you were legally married at the end of 2022 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $25,900 (+$1400 for each spouse 65 or older) You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit.

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return. Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, adoption credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable. Your limit for SALT (state and local taxes and sales tax) will be only $5000 per spouse. In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. The amount you can contribute to a retirement account will be affected. If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income. ( Community property states: AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI)

If you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-married-filing-jointly-vs-married-filing-separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901162-married-filing-separately-in-community-property-states

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separately

Re: after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

canthony1016 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:19:27 GMT

Then can we file separate, we both live at the same address, without either one of owing anything?

Re: after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

xmasbaby0 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:22:25 GMT

@canthony1016 Did you actually read the information given to you about filing separate returns? Do you understand that you would lose earned income credit, education credits, get less child tax credit, and be unable to use the childcare credit?

It is not easy to compare MFJ to MFS using online TT but you can do it. Since you only get one return for each account and user ID, you have to use 3 accounts and user ID’s—one for MFJ and two for each of the MFS returns. Compare, choose, and file—and pay—accordingly.

It is much easier to do this comparison using the desktop version of TT installed from a CD or downloaded to your own computer. You pay once for the software and you can prepare multiple returns easily, and it has a “what if” feature that allows comparisons.

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after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

Re: after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

Re: after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount

Re: after adding spouse refund went down a significate amount