Should I complete our joint tax filing under my wife's TurboTax account or a new one?

[AreDeeEss]

My wife has been completing our joint tax return for the past several years using TurboTax.  This year, I'm planning to take on the task of doing our joint return and I'm trying to understand if I should use her TurboTax login credentials, or if I should do the joint return under my own TurboTax login.  I want to be sure I'm accurately reflected as the "Head of Household" and my wife is listed as "Spouse" this year.  

Any suggestions as to the best way for me to get things set up this year?  Challenges I might face?  

Thank you all for any advice you have!

[DoninGA]

Since your returns have been filed as Married Filing Jointly you should use her account.  You do not need another account.

Additionally, if you are legally married and living together you can only file your tax return as either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.

Head of Household as a filing status can only be used if you are Single or you are married and have not lived with your spouse at any time during the last six months of the year.  Additionally. the Standard Deduction for MFJ is much higher than HOH.

[AreDeeEss]

Thank you!  So if I use her account, should I expect any problems with TurboTax thinking I'm my wife?  For example, if I log in using her account, and it asks a question like, "Enter your income," will TurboTax be talking about me or my wife?  Or do I just pretend I'm her as I fill things out?  That feels wrong, especially if at some point I have to digitally sign attesting that I am indeed my wife!  Let me know if I'm not being clear and I can try to explain my question another way.  

[xmasbaby0]

You are not filing as Head of Household.   You want to file a joint return.  HOH has a different meaning---and it will not be on a joint tax return.   HOH is used for divorced or separated parents who are living apart --- and the HOH is the one with the child(ren).     Head of Household does not mean you made more money or "rule the roost."

You should NOT change the order of the names on a joint tax return.  If your spouse has been preparing the returns using her account, and her name has been shown first on the returns --- leave it that way.   Your refund or tax due is not affected by which name is first on the Form 1040.  Changing the order of names on a joint return when you have filed jointly in the past will confuse the IRS and delay your refund.

[xmasbaby0]

The software does not have a webcam on you----it does not know who is sitting at the keyboard.   The sw will use "you" to ask questions as if the person whose name is listed first is preparing the return.  So you may have to "pretend" you are the spouse listed first.

[AreDeeEss]

Thank you.  I think I misunderstood the term "HOH."  I thought that just meant, "the person filing" and "spouse" meant, "the other person the MFJ return includes."  In fact, my wife makes more $$ than I do, and if anything, I'd say she "rules the roost."  I'm just trying to be helpful and share the burden since she's been doing the taxes for the last few years.  

From your post, it sounds like TurboTax will perhaps confirm that even though I'm using my wife's login, I am not, in fact, her, and I'll be completing the filing this year.  Do I have that right?  

Thanks again!

[AreDeeEss]

Ah, ok.  So this is an accepted practice?  I know I'm prob being paranoid, but just wanted to be sure I'm doing it the right way.  Thank you!

[Opus 17]

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@AreDeeEss wrote:

Thank you!  So if I use her account, should I expect any problems with TurboTax thinking I'm my wife?  For example, if I log in using her account, and it asks a question like, "Enter your income," will TurboTax be talking about me or my wife?  Or do I just pretend I'm her as I fill things out?  That feels wrong, especially if at some point I have to digitally sign attesting that I am indeed my wife!  Let me know if I'm not being clear and I can try to explain my question another way.  

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Neither the IRS nor Turbotax cares who is the "taxpayer" and who is the "spouse" on a joint return.    The IRS will put the top-listed taxpayer first on letters (if they send you one) but it doesn't change your tax.  Likewise, Turbotax needs to know "taxpayer" and "spouse" for things like IRA calculations, but it has no effect on your taxes.  (The program could just as equally use "Spouse A" and "Spouse Z" and it wouldn't matter.

But, because these things are coded on internal program worksheets that you can't access directly online, it is almost impossible to change the order once you have an order set up.   If you filed a joint return in 2022 with your wife's account with your wife as "taxpayer" and you as "spouse", the easiest thing will be to keep using that account. 

[Opus 17]

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@AreDeeEss wrote:

Ah, ok.  So this is an accepted practice?  I know I'm prob being paranoid, but just wanted to be sure I'm doing it the right way.  Thank you!

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You're fine.  If you log in with your wife's user name and password (with her permission of course), the web site won't know who is actually typing on the keyboard and it won't come up as an error or red flag for verification.

[AreDeeEss]

Perfect!  Thank you so much.  Based on your response and the reasoning behind it, which you explained so well, I'm confident to proceed.  Thanks again!