First time filing Married Joint. Which return to use when the instructions refer to "your" return from last year.

[reg11]

We got married in Oct. 2020, and will probably choose "Married filling jointly" as our status for 2020 taxes.  For 2019 taxes, we each filed as "Single".

At several points going through the guided questions, or even when referring to the IRS instructions for forms, the questions ask for information from a form in 2019's tax return.  They don't ask for information from each/both of our returns, the question is always phrased as if there is only a single return from 2019 (but we each had our own return).

What is the correct way to handle these situations?  Our returns have different answers for some of these questions.  For example

 - 1040 Schedule 1 - One of us itemized deductions last year, and one did not.  So only one of us has a Schedule A.

I tried reading through some of the other IRS publications (like 501), but they don't seem to cover how to handle the first time you transition from two single returns to one joint return.

[xmasbaby0]

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 2019 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 My 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 My Info.  Whenever you are entering income information there should then be a spot for you and for your spouse's income information.  Income screens will have spots with each spouse’s name—be careful to enter under the correct names.

[reg11]

Thanks @xmasbaby0 , the sections related income have worked fine so far.  Like you said, there's a separate question for my spouse's info.  The problem is for questions that aren't directly about income.  Those only ask about information for one of us, it doesn't have a separate question for each.

[xmasbaby0]

The question could be for either one of you--- reply for the one it applies to if it does.

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

For a 1099G State Refund.......

TurboTax does not handle this. If you enter more than one state refund, it just adds them together. It does not ask separately for each refund whether you itemized last year. It just asks once after all the refunds have been entered. There is only one State and Local Income Tax Refund Worksheet, so there is no way to do the calculation separately for the taxpayer and spouse. The help for the worksheet even says that a change in marital status from last year is one of the situations it does not handle.

So either.....

If you both itemized deductions last year then add them together and enter it.

If you both took the standard deduction last year add them together and enter it.

If one person took itemized deductions and the other one took the standard deduction then only enter the one that itemized deductions.

And answer the follow up questions.

[waimankfchan]

we are married in December 2020 and file as married joint return.  We both are single in 2019 and file our return as single (both our own were itemized).  When we file our 2020 return.  Do we need to combined  all items on our 2019 information?  Particular on our state taxes refund, do we need to combed all our state taxes refund? Thanks

[npierson7]

Yes, if you both Itemized your deductions in 2019 you need to combine you state tax refunds and state tax items and enter them to your joint 2020 tax return to determine what portion of your 2019 state tax refund is your taxable income.