Filing Status

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
March 12, 2022
2 replies
2 views

Turbotax is not providing the correct filing status. I used the IRS interactive tool to confirm that I have the correct filing status but there is a glitch in the Turbotax program. Even though my facts have not changed from 2020 and there have been no law changes, the 2021 program has made an incorrect determination. I have an EA certification with the IRS and have already had the filing status reviewed by a tax agency. When I tried to discuss this with support and also explained that I am hard of hearing and needed ADA accommodation, they would not comply. They said they would email me a ticket so that I can provide proof and support of the error, but never did. Has anyone else experience this?

DoninGA

Level 15

What filing status are you trying to enter?

Are you legally married? Are you not married? Are you a widow or widower? Do you have a dependent child or other person that is your dependent?

drv0563Author

Level 2

Widower. The IRS interactive link is: What Is My Filing Status? | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov) or https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/Answers to Your General Filing Questions

Below is the results in bold and input of the interactive link:
What is my filing status?
Your filing status is qualifying widow(er).
Your General Information
What tax year are you asking about? 2021
In 2021, did you pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home in which you lived? Yes
Family Information
What was your marital status on the last day of 2021?
Widowed (spouse died before the tax year)
Persons for Whom You May Get Tax Benefits
Kim
Kim's General Information
What is Kim's relationship to you? Biological child
What is Kim's date of birth? 12/9/90
Did Kim provide more than half of his or her own support for 2021? No
Did Kim live with you for all of 2021 (including any temporary absences)? Yes
Filing Status
Spouse
Did your spouse die during 2019 or 2020? Yes
Were you entitled to file a joint tax return with your spouse for the year your spouse died? Yes
Dependents
Kim's Dependent Status
Did you provide more than half of Kimberly Johnson's support during 2021? Yes what-is-my-filing-status

I have been working in taxes over 30 years and learned of this 2 years ago after my spouse passed away while attend IRS training to be an IRS volunteer tax preparer. I also had my home state change my filing status, appealed it, and won.

My frustration is that Turbotax got it right in 2020 but have 2021 as single which is incorrect based on the above, no change in tax law, and no change in my circumstances. 2021 is the last year I can claim this tax status. And support told me they would send an email so I could provide this, but closed it instead. It was so frustrating talking to them and they admitted they did not have tax experience/certifications, although working towards it.

Mike9241

Level 15

it is very easy to answer the question one way at the IRS website and a different way when doing Turbotax because the phrasing is different.

Mike9241

drv0563Author

Level 2

I agree but Turbotax results should agree with the IRS interpretation, not the other way around. Also, Turbotax should be consistent from one year to the next when there are no changes in the law or circumstances. I have worked in taxes over 30 years and only found out about the widower filing status allowed for 3 years even though there was no dependent when I attended IRS training to be an IRS volunteer tax preparer.

VolvoGirl

Level 15

I'm pretty sure Turbo Tax agrees with the IRS on that. What is your IRS link?

You can file a Joint return the year your spouse died. For the next two years following a husband's or wife's death, the surviving spouse can file as a qualifying widow or widower if they have a qualifying child. That basically lets you continue to use the same tax brackets that apply to married-filing-jointly returns. After the year of death if you don't have a child you file as Single.

See

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-should-i-file-my-return-if-my-spouse-recently-died/01/26367