topic Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately in Deductions & credits

Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately

egausden — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 04:18:40 GMT

In 2019 I lived and worked in Minnesota and my husband lived and worked in New York. We file taxes separately. He itemizes his deductions so thus I have to itemize my federal deductions, even though standard would have been better for me individually. However, from what I can tell, Minnesota state just asks if your spouse is itemizing for Minnesota state taxes. Since my husband will not be filing any Minnesota tax return, am I free to claim a standard deduction for my Minnesota state taxes even though he itemizes his in NY state?

Re: Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately

KurtL1 — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 21:49:33 GMT

Per the 2019 Minnesota Individual Income Tax Forms and Instructions if you are married and filing a separate return, you may only claim the standard deduction if your spouse did not itemize deductions. (Page 3)

Re: Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately

egausden — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 22:03:46 GMT

Even though he will not be filing any taxes in the state of Minnesota? IE- technically he will not be itemizing deductions in the state of minnesota, just in the state of NY

Re: Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately

KurtL1 — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 01:24:59 GMT

Per Minnesota Department of Revenue - Filing Status for Individuals you must use the same filing status on your state income tax return as on your federal return. See Minnestoa Statue 289A.09

You can file as Married Filing Separate on your Minnesota return.

Re: Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately

egausden — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 03:28:57 GMT

Sorry that's still not answering my question. I understand that we have to do "married filing separately" for both federal and state taxes in this situation. My question is regarding whether I can claim the standard deduction for my state taxes in MN if my husband is doing itemized deductions for his state taxes in NY. It seems that for the state taxes we would only have to do the same (ie itemized v standard) if we were both filing state taxes in the same state

Re: Minnesota State Deduction Married Filing Separately

AmyC — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 22:36:42 GMT

Yes, file itemized, if it benefits you. MN taxpayers may claim itemized on the state even if they did not on the federal. Nothing in the state directions mention a spouse and how they filed a separate state return. Here are the MN itemized deductions and instructions.