"been estranged for years...."
What have you been doing for all of those years when you file your tax returns? If you are the custodial parent of the children you could file as Head of Household.
If there are no children involved, you can prepare the return as married filing separately, but without his SSN, you will not be able to e-file. At the top of your Form 1040 you will need to write "Spouse SSN not available". You can enter his name and whatever other information you can provide to identify him.
Print, sign and date your return in ink, and mail it in.
When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s. Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.
Federal and state returns must be in separate envelopes and they are mailed to different addresses. Read the mailing instructions that print with your tax return carefully so you mail them to the right addresses.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
