Error check - Form 8889-s line 3a4 should not be checked as Family as worksheet shows spouse can be claimed as a dependent by someone. But worksheet does not say that.

[amptax]

Error check says Form 8889-s line 3a4 should not be checked as Family because the worksheet shows spouse can be claimed as a dependent by someone else.  I am not sure how that happened.  We are filing Married separate.  But I went to the worksheet and corrected the that question to be No in that box.  But the Error has not cleared when running error check

[amptax]

I thought joint would be better as well.  But there were two things that influenced it.  Ohio's tax scale does not provide significant savings for filing joint and we have always found we pay less to state by filing separate, even to the point that it out weighted the extra paid to federal.  Second, I have no earned income as I retired early.  But have investment income.  The investment income looks to be taxed at a much lower rate with me separate than when lumped in with my wife's earned income.  (She is still working)

[BMcCalpin]

Ah, there are always exceptions!

[BMcCalpin · Accepted solution]

You indicate that someone can be claimed as a dependent in the Personal Info section on a screen with the heading, "Do any of these apply to [name]?" (exact wording may vary based on version of the software).

Please go back and review this answer on both your returns. NOTE: a spouse cannot be claimed as a dependent by the other spouse no matter how you are filing.

Next, delete your HSA information because TurboTax is now confused by your entries. To do that, please read the following:

The safest - although brute force - way to fix this is to do the following in this order:

1. make a copy of your W-2(s) (if you don't have the paper copies)

2. delete your W-2(s) (use the garbage can icon next to the W-2(s) on the Income screen

*** Desktop***

3. go to View (at the top), choose Forms, and select the desired form. Note the Delete Form button at the bottom of the screen.

*** Online ***

3. go to Tax Tools (on the left), and navigate to Tools->Delete a form

4. delete form(s) 1099-SA (if one), 8889-T, and 8889-S (if one)

5. go back and re-add your W-2(s), preferably adding them manually

6. go back and redo the entire HSA interview.

***Final Note***

Unless you have unusual circumstances, filing married separate will end up costing more in tax than married filing joint. This is because there are a number of tax advantages that taxpayers filing separate do not enjoy. Run the return both ways to compare the results.

[dianeb1]

My spouse and I file MFS because it's favorable in Ohio.  We were married all of 2021 and each had our own HSA account.  Then, when our twins were born my wife went on the family plan to cover the twins.  I still have my own "self" plan.  All are HDHP plans and I know the limit in total for family plans apply.  But, I keep getting errors on my return although I show no one else can claim either myself or my wife as a dependent.  The error says "self" should not be checked on Line 3A  since the Wks states spouse could be claimed as a dependent of another which makes her ineligible (even though it clearly states "no" to that question)?  I've deleted my W-2 and the 88xx series forms and reentered and got the same result.  What's the fix?  The worksheet even states "select family for any month I had self only coverage and my spouse had family coverage", but that didn't work either.