Nonresidents filing separately or jointly in CT?

[mebohn]

We are non-residents of CT and only one of us has earned income in CT.  Do we have to work up a whole new "married filing separately" return?  Why can't we continue to file jointly in CT?

[Michael_M2 · Accepted solution]

If you are both nonresidents with only one of you having CT income, CT requires the spouse  with CT source income to file as Married Filing Separately even if you have filed a Federal return jointly. You can still file jointly but you must elect to file jointly in CT. Generally It is better to file as Married Filing Separately in these situations. For nonresidents CT taxes the greater of CT AGI (Federal AGI with CT modifications) or total income from CT sources. The tax is computed the same as a resident's tax would be but is prorated based on a ratio of CT AGI derived from CT sources to total CT AGI.

[nairpkravi]

Thanks for the reply. So only one of us has CT income. and we wish to file CT as married filing separately even though federal filing is married jointly. Will Turbo tax do this automatically? when I opted CT filing as married filing separately, there was no Continue button available and only a Back button available and seems no path in turbo tax under my login to continue CT filing married separately.  I would prefer to do do this using turbo tax electronically without starting another login. Any recommendations?

[KrisD15]

You might need to print the federal, then change the federal to Married Filing Separately to do the state. 

If so, don't forget to change it back after you print the completed state return.

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How to file jointly on federal, separate on state