How do I force filing status of MFS instead of HoH

[peterbowhill]

I do not want to file as HoH, but prefer MFS. How do I tell the software to do what I want it to do?

[DoninGA]

You do realize that the Standard Deduction for Head of Household is greater than the Standard Deduction for Married Filing Separately?

Standard deductions for 2023

Single - $13,850 add $1,850 if age 65 or older
Married Filing Separately - $13,850 add $1,500 if age 65 or older
Married Filing Jointly - $27,700 add $1,500 for each spouse age 65 or older
Head of Household - $20,800 add $1,850 if age 65 or older

Plus there are tax credits and deductions that you will lose or have reduced when filing separately.  Or you live in a community property state.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for filing separately versus jointly - https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/better-married-couple-file-join...

If you still want to file as Married Filing Separately, then when asked if you provided over one-half of the cost to maintain the home answer NO.

[Mike9241]

Were you married on the last day of the tax year? if yes then go to A) otherwise go to B)

A) did you and your spouse live apart for the last six months of the tax year? If not you may use MFS. 

 if yes, then did you pay more than 1/2 the costs of maintaining a household for yourself and a child (legally related)  you can claim as a dependent who lived with you for more than 6 months of the tax year? 

if not, you may use MFS, otherwise, you must use HOH

B) did your spouse die during the tax year? if yes you may use MFS

if not, did you pay more than 1/2 the cost of maintaining a household lived in more than six months by a qualifying child or a parent or qualifying relative?

if no, your filing status is single

if yes your filing status id HOH

why don't you want HOH since that's usually more beneficial than MFS while filing jointly is usually more beneficial than the other two? With MFS you get no child tax credits, no education credits or deduction,  no deduction for student loan interest, lower limits on the ability to contribute to a retirement plan, you and your spouse must agree to use either the standard deduction or itemize, higher tax rates then MFJ or HOH. 

Turbotax should choose the allowable filing status based on how you answer the questions it asks. 

[peterbowhill]

Thanks for your detailed response. I want to use MFS because I live outside of the US, my spouse is a Non Resident Alien not filing a tax return. HoH has a higher risk of proof should the IRS inquire particularly since all of my documents would be in a foreign language. Unless there is something new, I believe I can still get the CTC as MFS. Is there something new for 2024 or what pub do you see this disqualification in?  Everything else you mentioned is irrelevant to my situation. 

And if you don't know that's ok but since TT is not geared toward Expats I want to decide my filing status not have their limited Q&A tell me how to file. 

[xmasbaby0]

Go through the screens in My Info again----if and when it asks if you lived with your spouse for the last six months of the tax year you need to say that YES you did live together.   If you said that you lived apart, and you are claiming a child, that is why it is giving you HOH.

[DoninGA]

When filing as MFS the child tax credit is reduced to one-half of the credit, so you would only be eligible for $1,000.

IRS Publication 501 page 7 - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf#page=7

9. The following credits and deductions are reduced at income levels half those for a joint return.
a. The child tax credit and the credit for other dependents.

[VolvoGirl]

If you file MFS you need to enter your spouse's ssn which you don't have.   You will have to print and mail the return.  I don't know what you enter for the ssn if you don't have one.