SuperUser Carl is on target. You should file jointly and your wife should request injured spouse protection (form 8379) so that her part of the refund won't be taken for your student loan.
You can prepare form
8379 in TurboTax by using the following steps:
- Click on Federal Taxes >
Other Tax Situations [In TT Self-Employed: Personal >
Other Tax Situations]
- Scroll down to the Other Tax
Forms section and click on the Start/Update box next to Miscellaneous
Tax Forms. (See Screenshot #1, below.)
- On the Miscellaneous Tax Forms
screen, click on the Start/Update box next to Report an injured
or innocent spouse claim. (Screenshot #2)
- On the Innocent or Injured
Spouse Relief screen, click on the Yes box.
-
Don't make any entries on the
next 2 screens --
just click Continue. [They apply to Innocent Spouse
Relief.]
- On the screen Let's See if You
Qualify for Injured Spouse Relief, mark the appropriate state box and
click Continue. (Screenshot #3)
- On the screen Tell Us More
About Your Situation mark the
appropriate boxes and click Continue.
- On the screen, You Qualify for
Injured Spouse Relief, you will be asked Do you want to file this
claim with your 2016 tax return? Select Yes if
you haven't already filed your return; select No if you've already
filed your return. [You'll be given the opportunity to print the
form later in the interview.]
- Continue through the rest of the
interview, entering the requested information. You will be asked to
allocate income, exemptions, and deductions between you and your spouse.
- When finished, you will see the
screen, Your Claim Is Now Ready to Be Filed With Your Return. If
you selected the option to file form 8379 separately, click on the
Print form 8379 box. Otherwise click Continue and
the form will be transmitted with your return.
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