Married Filing Jointly or Separately & Which TT Product To Use, Considering Special Cases

[Chufish]

Hey there,

I'm looking for a recommendation on which Turbo Tax product to purchase considering a few important concerns. Also, a recommendation on if it'd be best to files separately or jointly when considering a few things, as that might affect which TT product to purchase.

About me, recently married (Nov 2021), I'll make around 130k this year as a W2 employee (2 companies) after bonuses and moving payment, all taxes in line for me historically (one audit 2 years ago due to tax preparer error, has been taken care of), moved to a different part of the state for work in May, rented out my condo (under my name only) and rented/renting in the new area.

My wife has had financial and tax issues for the last 5 years or so, with the exception of last year when she finally filed with no known issues (at this time), she had previous issues where the IRS garnished wages with minimal to no notification. She had tried to seek help to figure things out but most accounts either couldn't help or ended up giving up. We're not sure where she is currently in terms of standing with the IRS but this is the major cause for concern for me with regards to filing jointly. The other is that, after we moved in May, she began working as an independent contractor (writer) and I'm not sure if this will impact how to file (MFJ vs MFS) and which product to use depending on the recommendation of how to file.

[xmasbaby0]

If you use online software you will need Self-Employed for your spouse's self-employment income.   If you use the CD/download you can use any version since all versions of the desktop software provide all the same forms and schedules.   You would get more help with Home and Business if needed. 

 Moving expenses are not deductible except for certain active duty members of the military.   

Rent is not deductible on a federal return, but some states allow a credit for renters.   Or did you mean you own rental property and you are renting it out as a landlord?

As for deciding whether to file a joint or separate returns----

If you were legally married at the end of 2021 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $25,100 (+$1300 for each spouse 65 or older)  You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit. 

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return. Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, adoption credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable. Your limit for SALT (state and local taxes and sales tax) will be only $5000 per spouse. In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. The amount you can contribute to a retirement account will be affected. If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income. ( Community property states:  AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI)

 If  you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-married-filing-jointly-vs-married-filing-separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901162-married-filing-separately-in-community-property-states

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separ...

If you find that your spouse has ongoing issues with back taxes, etc. you can consider filing a joint return but filing as "injured spouse" to protect your portion of the tax refund.

INJURED SPOUSE

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1910698-how-do-i-file-form-8379-injured-spouse-allocation

You cannot amend a joint return to file separately after the filing deadline.

[Critter-3]

You can and should only use one of the DOWNLOADED programs so you can complete more than one return and use the WHAT IF tool in the forms mode ... 

If one of the spouse's has a prior debt then you can file a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation so their portion of the tax refund will not be seized when filing a joint return.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for a form 8379 - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1910698-how-do-i-file-form-8379-injured-spouse-allocation

States have their own form/procedures …

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3958742-how-do-i-file-the-injured-spouse-form-with-the-state-taxes

If you were legally married at the end of 2021 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $24,000 (+$1300 for each spouse 65 or older)  You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit. 

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return. Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, adoption credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable.  In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. The amount you can contribute to a retirement account will be affected. If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income. ( Community property states:  AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI) If  you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-married-filing-jointly-vs-married-filing-separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901162-married-filing-separately-in-community-property-states

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separ...

If you decide to file a joint return:

To begin a new joint return on TurboTax:

You will not be able to merge two previous TT account to start your new joint return.  You can transfer ONE of your 2020 returns into a new return, so choose the most complicated one.  The other spouse’s information needs to be entered manually.

When you enter your own information in Personal Info, you have to answer the question "Were you married?"  If you click the button for Married, then a drop down will appear that asks, "Do you want to file this return together with your spouse?"  Then you choose yes to file a joint return.  You would then enter your spouse's information into Personal Info.  Whenever you are entering income information there should then be a spot for you and for your spouse's income information.

If you decide you want to file separate returns, then continue to use your existing accounts.  But go to My Info to change from filing as Single to say that you are married.  When it asks if you want to file together with your spouse, say no.

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

 

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?
• What is-the-meaning-of-all-the-different-colors-in-forms-mode

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

Once you have filed shut off the auto updater function and save the return and .taxfile.

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?

*** Other clues to the downloaded program ***

In the forms mode ... double click  or right click on a box on a form to data source it ... sadly it doesn't work on all boxes. 

What's the meaning of all the different colors in Forms Mode?

When you look at an onscreen tax form using Forms Mode, you might wonder why one figure is blue and the one next to it is red or black.

These colors indicate the source of that data.

Color	Meaning
Blue	You entered this data, either in the interview or Forms Mode.
Black	The program entered this data or calculated this amount.
Red	This data has either been overridden or is invalid (for example, a ZIP code that doesn't exist).
Red italics	You marked this amount as estimated.
Black italics	The program calculated this amount from an amount you marked as estimated.
Purple	This information has supporting details.
Aquamarine	This data was transferred over from last year.
Green	This data was imported from Quicken or QuickBooks.
Yellow fields (Windows)	Yellow fields allow user input. Anything you enter here shows up in blue.