Itemized deduction or standard deduction

tiderh · ‎June 17, 2020

When filing married separately, if the husband and the wife doesn’t agree to same deduction. I asked one tax advisor, she said that IRS will force standard deduction. From publication 17, it’s said that if one uses itemized deduction, the spouse can only use itemized deduction too. Which one is right? Thanks

SusanY1 · ‎June 17, 2020

The publication is correct. If filing separately, and one spouse itemizes the other must itemize as well - even if that results in a $0 deduction.

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Opus 17 · ‎June 17, 2020

If one spouse itemizes, that forces the other spouse to itemize. If both spouses itemize or both spouses use the standard deduction, the IRS will leave them alone.

(In cases of marital separation, if one of the spouses qualifies to file as head of household, then the two spouses' choice of itemized or standard deduction don't affect one another.)