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For a Married Filing Jointly income tax return prepared using TurboTax, the taxpayer's name entered first in the program (and the Social Security Number tied to the online account), will be the "primary taxpayer" -- or in other words, the person listed first on the tax return. The other, joint, taxpayer will be listed second, and referred to in the software as "spouse."
No matter who is listed first on a tax return, and who is listed second as the spouse, it won't change the actual math of your tax return, in the form of a higher or lower refund. But it is a choice left entirely up to the individual taxpayer(s).
That said, we would like to make two useful observations. First, the IRS (and state departments of revenue) usually prefer that whatever choice is made as to who is the primary taxpayer and who is the spouse, maintain consistency from year-to-year. In other words, the taxpayer listed first on a married couple return should be listed first the next year . . . and the next year, etc.
Doing so helps the government process tax returns faster, and with more accuracy. So, with the choice you and your husband make now, you should probably continue doing so in future years, as long as you continue to file as Married Filing Jointly.
Second, when you initially create your tax return in TurboTax, please consider answering all of the early program set-up questions from the perspective of the primary taxpayer, as that will help you to achieve your desired result as to who is listed first on the header of the tax return.
Thank you for asking this question.
For a Married Filing Jointly income tax return prepared using TurboTax, the taxpayer's name entered first in the program (and the Social Security Number tied to the online account), will be the "primary taxpayer" -- or in other words, the person listed first on the tax return. The other, joint, taxpayer will be listed second, and referred to in the software as "spouse."
No matter who is listed first on a tax return, and who is listed second as the spouse, it won't change the actual math of your tax return, in the form of a higher or lower refund. But it is a choice left entirely up to the individual taxpayer(s).
That said, we would like to make two useful observations. First, the IRS (and state departments of revenue) usually prefer that whatever choice is made as to who is the primary taxpayer and who is the spouse, maintain consistency from year-to-year. In other words, the taxpayer listed first on a married couple return should be listed first the next year . . . and the next year, etc.
Doing so helps the government process tax returns faster, and with more accuracy. So, with the choice you and your husband make now, you should probably continue doing so in future years, as long as you continue to file as Married Filing Jointly.
Second, when you initially create your tax return in TurboTax, please consider answering all of the early program set-up questions from the perspective of the primary taxpayer, as that will help you to achieve your desired result as to who is listed first on the header of the tax return.
Thank you for asking this question.
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