How can I view a breakdown of of how much each spouse should get on a return involving 2 children? filing married and joint to settle amount during a separation

[tpcastro80]

my spouse an I are going through a separation and when I prepared the return it said he owed and wants more money than I gave him

[Bsch4477]

If you filed jointly any refund is owned jointly.  Of course once you have the refund you can split it any way you wish. 

[Anonymous]

a theoretical way would be to buy the desktop software. and then prepare two returns as if married filing separately.  if the joint return used itemized deductions you both are going to have to agree on a method to split them. from this there are several options.

1) line 20 or 23 would show either or both owed or were due as a ref. it is possible one of you would owe and one would be due a refund.  This works best if the total from line 16 on each return is the same as line 16 on the joint return.

2) if this isn't the case you could use the taxable income (line 11b) from one MFS return divided by the total of that line from both returns.  use that ratio to split the tax on line 12a on the joint return.  after this use take the pro-rated tax and add additional taxes and subtract additional credits that each is responsible for.  from this subtract that person's withholding and their share of estimated taxes.  if estimated taxes were paid then again you both are going to have to agree on who gets credit for them.  

again there is nothing in the laws about these methods. There are others.  these are just a few of the ways that pro's suggest when they have taxpayers in the same position.  of course, some pro's have the software that can do these computations automatically.  

[Critter-3]

Actually the downloaded version can to a MFJ vs MFS split out ... if you used the online version to file a joint return you can use the amendment option to download the program and use the "what if"  tool however if you have refundable credits like the EIC this will not really give you the answer you seek ...

This is my mini version of  a tutorial  that should be in the downloaded program: 

Always remember to shut off the auto update function once you have filed your returns and do not do any updates unless you have safeguarded the PDF & .taxfiles to a removable storage unit for safekeeping.

 

 

What is Forms Mode?

Forms Mode lets you view and make changes to your tax forms "behind the scenes."

If you're adventurous, you can even prepare your return in Forms Mode, but we don't recommend it. You may miss obscure credits and deductions you qualify for, and you may forget to report things that will come back and haunt you later.

Forms Mode is exclusively available in the TurboTax CD/Download software. It is not available in TurboTax Online.

Related Information:

• Why would I use Forms Mode?
• How do I switch to Forms Mode in the TurboTax for Windows software?
• How do I switch to Forms Mode in the TurboTax for Mac software?

If you want to play around with different figures and tax scenarios without affecting your original return you can ….

• >>>In the TurboTax CD/Download software by creating a test copy: 
• 1.  Open your return in TurboTax. 
• 2.  From the File menu, choose Save As. 
• 3.  Give the copy a new name to distinguish it from the original (for example, by adding "Test" or "Example" to the file name). 
• 4. Click  Save. You are now safely working in the test copy and anything you do here will not affect the original. 
•  https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900642-how-to-make-a-test-copy-of-your-return

• >>  use the WHAT IF tool: 
• - Click Forms Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 2 (forms view) 
• - Click on the Open Form Icon 
• - In the “Type a form name.” area type What-If (with the dash), click on the name of the worksheet - click on Open Form 
• - You will see the worksheet on the right side of the screen; enter the information right into the form 
• - To get back to interview mode - click on the Step-by-Step Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 1

It's always a good idea to make a backup copy of your tax data file, in case your original gets lost or corrupted. Here's how:

1. From the File menu in the upper-left corner of TurboTax, choose Save As (Windows) or Save (Mac).
2. Browse to where you want to save your backup.
   • Tip: If you're saving to a portable device, save it to your computer first to prevent data corruption. Then, after completing Step 4, copy or move the backup file to your device.
3. In the File name field, enter a name that will distinguish it from the original tax file (for example, add "Backup" or "Copy" to the file name)
4. Click Save and then close TurboTax.
5. Restart TurboTax and open the backup copy to make sure it's not corrupted. If you get an error, delete the backup and repeat these steps.

If you make changes to your original tax return file, repeat these steps to ensure your original and backup copies are in-synch.

Related Information:                             

• Retrieve a Tax File from a Portable Device
• What's the difference between the tax data file and the PDF file?

AND save it as a PDF so you have access to a copy even if you don’t have the program still installed and operational :

• How do I save my return as a PDF in the TurboTax software for Windows?
• How do I save my return as a PDF in the TurboTax software for Mac?

AND protect the files :

• How can I protect the tax files on my computer?