Independent contractor

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
November 16, 2022
1 reply
10 views

This is my first year as an independent contractor. I am married but wondering if it’s better to file separately because I’m planning on itemizing

drc845443

Level 6

Hello there,

In general, you are better off filing jointly than filing separately. Please note that if you file separately and you itemize deductions, your spouse is required to also itemize deductions.

You have to consider your specific tax situation to decide whether you would benefit from filing separately. In order to do that you can use the What-if analysis tool in the TurboTax desktop software, or create three test returns (your two separate returns, and the joint tax return) to see which option works best for you.

here are some resources with additional topics to consider before you decide whether to file separately or file a joint tax return:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/better-married-couple-file-jointly-separately/L338QHg8G_US_en_US

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-filing-status/compare-married-filing-jointly-married-filing/L6CJYiJ1S_US_en_US

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