topic Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly

DragonVT — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:03:49 GMT

We got married in 2025. For 2024, we filled single. In 2024, I itemized my return and my wife did not. We both received a state refund. Now in 2025, I'm trying to figure out how to report those refunds since your software seems to be trying to consolidate everything into one statement, but nothing looks correct. Please advise. And frankly, please update your software so that it's clear which individual is being worked on, and which sections are joint. Right now, that's about as clear as mud.

Re: Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly

xmasbaby0 — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:08:32 GMT

The only state refund you need to enter is the one you received---since you itemized for 2024. Your spouse's state refund does not have to be entered since your spouse used standard deduction.

Re: Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly

xmasbaby0 — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:09:10 GMT

When you are entering income on a joint return, every income entry screen will either have a spot with both spouse’s names there, or when you click to enter a W-2, 1099R, etc. it will ask you by name which spouse it is for. You do not have to wait for the software to “ask” you for your spouse’s income. Go to the screens to enter your spouse’s W-2’s, 1099’s, etc. just like you did for your own income. Then look for your spouse’s name there.

Re: Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly

jlf603 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:00:43 GMT

Ok but what about when the spouse DID itemize? My and my husband got married in 2025. So we each have a 1099-G for state tax refund. We both itemized. When I input the information into the "Income" under "Refunds from state and local tax returns" it allows multiple entries but when you click "done" it says, Ok, let's make sure your 2024 tax return information is correct... that's the problem. It DOES NOT allow you to demarcate which spouse received which state tax refund. And it only pulls one 2024 1040. Ive been on the phone with turbotax all morning and no one can help me. Any advice?

Re: Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly

VolvoGirl — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:06:05 GMT

Copied from SuperUser rjs (from 2010 tax season).....
TurboTax does not handle this. If you enter more than one state refund, it just adds them together. It does not ask separately for each refund whether you itemized last year. It just asks once after all the refunds have been entered. There is only one State and Local Income Tax Refund Worksheet, so there is no way to do the calculation separately for the taxpayer and spouse. The help for the worksheet even says that a change in marital status from last year is one of the situations it does not handle.

So either.....
If you both itemized deductions last year then add them together and enter it.
If you both took the standard deduction last year add them together and enter it.
If one person took itemized deductions and the other one took the standard deduction then only enter the one that itemized deductions.

And answer the follow up questions.

Re: Reporting previous year State tax refund when changing from single to married filing jointly

user17751472409 — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:30:50 GMT

Did you ever find an answer for this? Same situation for us. Just trying to figure out if all of our combined state refund is taxable or just a portion. TurboTax calculates the taxable portion based off the primary taxpayer listed as their information is used in the worksheet.