Do any of you married folk file separate?

[JoeChalupa]

I'm being told that I'm foolish to file jointly and that we will get more back if we file separate but I'm not getting it.
I am going to figure it out both ways and sideways to see what I come up with. Was just wondering what other married couples do.
Now I know that some may not want divulge what they do and I can understand that. Just putting a feeler out there........

[ashbeeigh]

Just throwing it out there....for the few months that I did taxes last year at VITA sites I did a handful of filing separately taxes. We did one or two of them both ways before deciding to file them separately.

This was a year ago, so the couples' situations are a bit hazy...but I do remember one of them owing in the end because the guy's income was too high. Adding the extra 2,000ish to his deduction helped them from owing. You get a high deduction if you're married which takes off your tax liability (simple right? I think most people know that. I hope that didn't come across as me sounding elitist).

Of course these were simple taxes, not many assets or investments, if any involved. If there are assets that you two can divide that can get a higher deduction than it may be worth it. Lots of tax programs let you play with the return before you e-file. Try it both ways to see if you get a higher return by filing separately. But, I doubt you'll get a higher return.

[JoeChalupa]

Thanks Ashbeeigh. I've always been of the thought that you get more benefits filing jointly and that the majority of the time it is best. From what I can tell from our situation filing jointly will still be better. But I could be wrong but I'm doubtful of the filing separate.

[Frenzy]

It's usually the same..from my experience anyway.

[I.R.S.]

Either way, I'll be watchin'.

[marini martini]

Freakin' "baby daddy" wants to claim his kid & wife on his taxes, when they have clearly been living at our house for 9 months out of this year.

Can't wait to turn the mo-fo in to IRS!!!

[I. Hustle]

Freakin' "baby daddy" wants to claim his kid & wife on his taxes, when they have clearly been living at our house for 9 months out of this year.

Can't wait to turn the mo-fo in to IRS!!!

Get his ass. I hate idiots like that. My wife's ex wanted to claim my stepson since we have a kid together but he lives with us. Seeing the kid every other weekend and letting us take care of everything he needs disqualifies you .

[CubanMustGo]

Freakin' "baby daddy" wants to claim his kid & wife on his taxes, when they have clearly been living at our house for 9 months out of this year.

Can't wait to turn the mo-fo in to IRS!!!

See the "whistleblower" topic at the IRS, maybe you can get a few $$$ for turning his ass in:

http://www.irs.gov/compliance/index.html

[DarkReign]

Filing separately only makes sense when one of you makes a lot more than the other.

Basically, its for the independently wealthy who married another of less means.

Because rich people dont get tax returns, they get tax bills. So they may want to absorb you, the spouse, in their tax returns to offset some of their costs (joint filing). That has its benefits and drawbacks.

More or less, filing seperately as married folk is for business owners and the self employed. If you are neither, youre wasting your time and costing yourself more to file two seperate returns.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Dark Reign is right...there are very few cases where filing separately creates any tax benefit.

At our firm we get one or two new clients a year who claimed that they received a bigger refund filing separate and always want us to calculate it under both possibilities(separate and jointly) for them. Usually I can take one quick look at their income and deductions and tell them whether it even makes sense to look at it both ways. Luckily our software will run separate MFJ and MFS calculations with a push of a button. So if the client insists on two calculations even after I advise them, I push the button, tell them the results, and charge an extra $100 for putting me through all the aggravation of pushing said button.

People who claim they get more money back filing separate are usually filing their returns wrong. If you file separate you basically get half your standard deduction, half your exemptions, half the usual MFJ tax brackets etc. You don't get the single filers tax rates and deductions, which is what confuses most folks. A lot of people think filing separate means husband Bill files single, and wife Mary files single, and it doesn't work that way.

I've even seen 'professional' tax preparers screw that up.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I started a cult in 2009. How many of my wives can I file jointly with?

[JoeChalupa]

Thanks for the replies. What I don't get is that my wife told me that an H&R Block rep told her we should file separate. Damn it.

[ploto]

Thanks for the replies. What I don't get is that my wife told me that an H&R Block rep told her we should file separate. Damn it.

Maybe he gets paid more that way.

[symple19]

, I push the button, tell them the results, and charge an extra $100 for putting me through all the aggravation of pushing said button.

Wow, a job that can really make you feel good at the end of the day!

Luckily for you EHJ, there are dumbass Americans (numbering well into the tens of millions) who will go to some POS tax flunky like you instead of reading up and doing it themselves.



Perhaps some day you'll be shocked and killed by your keyboard for pushing said button. Then the funeral home can charge your family $100 extra for referring them to a reputable casket maker.

[DarkReign]

Thanks for the replies. What I don't get is that my wife told me that an H&R Block rep told her we should file separate. Damn it.

Said H&R rep gets to charge you two separate fees. You must question an accountants motivations at every turn, especially if you have no real relationship with them (filing your taxes as a middle-class schmo with the same guy every year is not a real relationship).

[Go For Tree]

Standard tax deductions for 2009:

Married filing seperate = 5700.00 standard deduction

Married filing jointly = 11400.00 standard deduction.


5700 x 2 = 11400.00

Its the same standard deduction.

[Sportcamper]

Ed- I push the button, tell them the results, and charge an extra $100 for putting me through all the aggravation of pushing said button …

[Drachen]

what about the fact that we have two children one is hers and one is ours. if we file jointly we don't qualify for the EIC of 5k, but if we file separately with one child on each of our returns, we will qualify for the EIC of 3k apiece. Is this legal?

[ashbeeigh]

what about the fact that we have two children one is hers and one is ours. if we file jointly we don't qualify for the EIC of 5k, but if we file separately with one child on each of our returns, we will qualify for the EIC of 3k apiece. Is this legal?

Why wouldn't her child qualify for the EIC on your return? You are providing all the support for the child, right? Or is the father claiming the child? This confuses me. Not to mention you don't qualify if you file separately.

http://www.irs.gov/app/vita/globalme...ility_4012.pdf

[Drachen]

Why wouldn't her child qualify for the EIC on your return? You are providing all the support for the child, right? Or is the father claiming the child? This confuses me. Not to mention you don't qualify if you file separately.

http://www.irs.gov/app/vita/globalme...ility_4012.pdf

Ok, that link shows that I cannot do it, but to answer your questions: I can claim her daughter. The daughters father is some deadbeat guy, I think he ran away to join the circus or something. He has paid a total of 1200 in child support over the almost 13 years of her life, so... I am her dad. I don't qualify for EIC married filing jointly because together we make more than the 45295 limit for 2 kids. The reason that I thought we could file seperately and get it was because the limit is ~35000 for 1 person with one child and neither of us makes more than that. Our income is almost evenly split, both under 35k. What sucks is that I thought they took your income AFTER deductions for the purposes of EIC, because I have a house and between mortgage interest and property taxes, (not to mention other deductions like for the children) I am pretty far below the threshold. Oh well, I shouldn't be greedy, I was just trying to pretend that I was rich and find a loophole.

[ploto]

^Yeah, they won't let you split the family in half so that you each fall under the income guidelines to get EIC.

[MoSpur]

Maybe someone here can help me with my question. Last year for 2008 income tax return, my wife worked and we filed jointly. It was also the first year I could claim my son as a dependent. This year for the 2009 income tax return, my wife did not work at all. I did my taxes last night online for the first time and it came less than last year. I was confused by this.
I figured that since I am the only one working, I would be getting more in return because of the fact that she isn't working and I am the only one earning an income. Both last year and this year I filed MFJ. Am I doing something wrong? Should I file head of household? Or is it right that I get less than year compared to last year?

Someone please help.

[DarkReign]

Should I file head of household? Or is it right that I get less than year compared to last year?

I am no accountant, so dont take this advice as Bible, because it isnt...at all...far from.

You should file as HoH for damn sure, especially when youre the only income for the household. No offense, that should be obvious.

Also, I *think* you can claim your spouse as a dependent (I said I *think*, I dont know) since she earned no income. If you can claim your child, too, all the better.

Even if it doesnt work out to be as good or better than the year before, you have to consider that your combined income from 2008 with your wife working did not put you in a new tax bracket.

Rewind to 2008.

To be clear on that, lets say your tax bracket is (i am making these numbers up completely) from $40k-$90k. You earn $60k a year. Your wife earns $25k a year. Combined income with exemptions (children, write-offs, work expenses, etc) puts your household income below $90k. Your return is going to be awesome that year because youre at the very height of a bracket that pays a low percentage.

Fast forward 2009.

You still earn $60k but your wife earned $0. Your percentage paid in taxes, after exemptions and write-offs, doesnt change. Youre paying the same tax rate on a lower income. So, yeah, you paid less in taxes, but that also means you get less as a return.

Honestly, you should have known this in 2009 and filled out a W4 at work to change your number of dependents to # of children plus wife (2, if I read you right). You could have even claimed yourself, but to be honest, thats pushing it. If youre in the income bracket I think you are, then you'd be fine claiming yourself, bringing your total to (3).

You pay less taxes every week but you get basically, no return. But I tell everyone who will listen...the Federal Government is not a savings account. Pay as little as is required and zero yourself out come tax time so that you neither have to pay the government or receive a very small return.

Again, I am NOT an accountant. If EHJ came in here and said "Thats the dumbest thing I ever heard", I wouldnt take offense. But its the way I handle my personal situation and it has worked out swimmingly so far.

[MoSpur]

Appreciate the advise DR. I'm gonna give it a shot. I usually have an accountant do my taxes, but I thought I'd give it a shot this year on my own.

[DarkReign]

Appreciate the advise DR. I'm gonna give it a shot. I usually have an accountant do my taxes, but I thought I'd give it a shot this year on my own.

PM EdHelicopterJones before you do that and just have him read what I wrote, first.

Please. Like I said, I am no accountant whereas Ed is and he can say "Yeah, thats ok advice" or "Boy, that guy has his head up his ass."

Just get the confirmation.