topic Married Filing Separately in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Married Filing Separately

Galen3 — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:44:47 GMT

According to Turbox Tax if you are filing Married Filing Separately you and your spouse must both itemize deductions. We usually do this with no problem. This time Turbo tax switched my wife's return to the standard deduction because it was the better option. I have not filed yet. Wont this raise a flag with the IRS if Turbo tax files our returns this way? Can I decline the standard deduction in turbo tax to make sure my returns are not wrong? Thanks.

Re: Married Filing Separately

DanP0428 — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 02:54:28 GMT

If she filed with standard, it will raise a flag if you itemize. One rule that they do enforce for MFS is both have to either itemize or take standard. It is not that both must itemize. It is that both must match in whether itemize or standard.

Re: Married Filing Separately

rjs — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 03:18:23 GMT

Yes, it will raise a red flag if your wife takes the standard deduction and you itemize. In your wife's return, go back to the beginning of the Personal Info or Your Info section, where you enter her name and other details. Make sure that you selected Married for her marital status, and that you said No where it asks if she wants to file together with her spouse. Then go to where you entered your name and Social Security number in your wife's return, as the spouse. You will come to the screen shown below. Check the box that says "Either my spouse or I claim itemized deductions." That will force the return to use itemized deductions. You should check that box for both returns.

Re: Married Filing Separately

Galen3 — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 03:13:22 GMT

That worked. It forced it back to itemized deductions. Now we match. Thank you!!!!