.

[stoops]

.

[BillM223]

So far as I know, TurboTax has no way to allow you to enter your spouse's contributions as his/her own when you are filing MFS - you can only enter them as yours. 

However, if you claim Family HDHP coverage and enter all the contributions are yours, I think you will approximate what you want - you will have excess contributions of the right amount, because, by default, 

What is impossible with TurboTax is for TurboTax to automatically allocate the Family HDHP policy coverage between the spouse. If you enter Family coverage, then you will get the entire $8,300. If the total of yours and your spouse's contributions excess $8,300, then TurboTax will report the excess, and you get to take the consequences.

NOTE: who owns the HSA? You? Your spouse? The HSA must be reported on the tax return of the owner. If it is you, then no problem.

NOTE: In this scenario, if your spouse also has an HSA, then your spouse should not report any HSA contributions. If your spouse took distributions (got a 1099-SA in his/her name) then your spouse will have to go through the HSA interview, claim Family coverage, and then enter no contributions.

Wait, did your spouse make HSA contributions through an employer? That is, does your spouse have a W-2 and is there a code W in box 12 on it? If so, this plan won't work, because you won't be able to report those contributions on your return - but do tell me if your spouse's code W amount went to your HSA.

[stoops]

.

[BillM223]

No, we can't do this "you contribute everything" because the code W amounts were removed from Wages in boxes 1, 3, and 5 on both your W-2s when they were printed, so if you pretended that your spouse code W amount was actually yours, then your spouse's Wages would be wrong (as well as yours, I guess).

No, unfortunately, as we make "fudges" to the return , we have to fudge it more and more trying to make it work. So the Forms override is your only option.

And if you start making changes to your W-2s, then you risk a letter from the IRS wondering why you did not enter your W-2 to match the copy that the IRS has.

I just hope that filing MFS is worth it for you - for most taxpayers, it's not worth it because the tax rates are worse, a lot of credits are no longer available, if one of you itemizes then both of you have to (which doesn't work out well for one of the spouses), and so on.

[NCperson]

@stoops can I ask why you are filing Separate? 96% of married couples file Joint and maybe you are unintentionally making this more difficult than it needs to be 

[turner121]

Is Turbotax advising MFS should report Self on form 8889 although it is family as wife and spouse are covered?

[BillM223]

turner121

No, the taxpayer should report whatever the HDHP coverage is, whether or not they are filing MFS.

That is, suppose one spouse has the HDHP policy, but that it is a Family policy that covers the both spouses. Both spouses should report Family HDHP coverage.

Note that since TurboTax does not support the automatic allocation of the Family coverage amount for returns filing married separate (MFS), then your only option in TurboTax is to use the CD/download version of TurboTax, go into Forms mode, and make entries directly on to the 8889.