Please see the below steps and subsequent question.
1. I downloaded the TurboTax Desktop version.
2. I filed a Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) Federal Return.
3. I created mock Married Filing Separate (MFS) Returns for my wife and I. I live in CA and she lives in MA.
4. I created state retruns for each mock MFS. I printed out each state return to mail.
Question: Which federal return do I mail with the state returns, the MFJ federal return or the mock MFS federal return?
Thank you.
Steve
Just to make you aware:
Use the same filing status for California that you used for your federal income tax return.
Exception: If you file a joint tax return for federal purposes, you may file separately for California if either spouse was either of the following:
- An active member of the United States armed forces or any auxiliary military branch during 2024.
- A nonresident for the entire year and had no income from California sources during 2024.
Community Property States: If the spouse earning the California source income is domiciled in a community property state, community income will be split equally between the spouses. Both spouses will have California source income and they will not qualify for the nonresident spouse exception.