File Married Jointly or Separate it my husband was a 1099 employee last year until September and I was a W2 Salary Employee.

[espeakes]

We were married in Feb. 2023 and never changed our tax withholding from zero/ single. He was a 1099 employee last year until September and I was a W2 salary all year long. Is it smarter to file married separately or jointly in this circumstance?

I made a significant amount more than him last year, so I don't know if this will screw us over or not. Someone please help! We're totally lost and are afraid we screwed up by not changing our withholding.

[Bsch4477]

It is almost always better to file jointly but you could try it both ways to see which is better for you. 

[VolvoGirl]

Good you never changed your withholding at work.  Did he pay the quarterly estimated payments to cover the self employment tax?

Here's some things to consider about filing separately……

In the first place you each have to file a separate return, so that's two returns.  And if you are using the Online version that means using 2 accounts and paying the fees twice.  The Desktop CD/Download program would be better to use.

Many people think they come out better when filing Married Filing Separate but they are probably doing it wrong.  If one person itemizes deductions on Schedule A then the other one must itemize too, even if it's less than the standard deduction, even if it is ZERO!  And if you are in a Community Property state it can be complicated to figure out.

And there are several credits you can't take when filing separately, like the

EITC Earned Income Tax Credit

Child Care Credit

Educational Deductions and Credits

And contributions to IRA and ROTH IRA are limited when you file MFS.

Also if you file Married Filing Separately up to 85`% of your Social Security becomes taxable right away even with zero other income.

See …….

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/married/help/is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-...

[VolvoGirl]

Also info on getting married

You can not transfer from or combine 2 returns or accounts.  Just pick the return for the spouse that has the most complicated return to enter or has any depreciation or business or  more investments.  Or use the account for whoever you want to be listed first going forward (by the way you can not change the order of the names).  Then add the other spouse's name, ssn and info to it.

You should usually  file a Joint return which is only 1 return combined for the both of you.  Make sure to stick with this one account for the future.  Just ignore the other spouse's account.

Getting Married FAQ

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-filing-status/help/what-does-getting-married-mean-for-my-taxes...

And info on Getting Married…..

http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Getting-Married/INF12006.html