MFJ both owe back taxes

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
August 7, 2025
1 reply
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If my husband and I file jointly and both owe from previous years when not married, how is the refund split between our individual balances?

xmasbaby0

Level 15

If you both owe back taxes, the refund on your joint return will be seized up to the amount owed. The IRS will send you a letter a few weeks later that explains why the refund was offset. You can also check your own online IRS accounts afterward to see your remaining individual balances owed.

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

kmartenyAuthor

Level 2

I guess my question is will the refund amount from my income go towards my debt and same for his?

xmasbaby0

Level 15

@kmarteny We cannot predict how much of the refund is "yours" and how much is your spouse's, nor can we predict how much of the seized refund will be attributed to your debt or to your spouse's debt. When you file a joint tax return, there is no "his and hers" to the refund. It is a joint refund in both names. That should be explained in the letter the IRS will mail to you, and will be shown in your online accounts with the IRS.