If my wife and I change our filing status after we filed, do we have to refile her?

Question

My wife and I filed our taxes with a joint return. Well, now we have to refile separately because of an unforseen circumstance. Does that mean I have to subtract out all of her stuff from the return, refile my return as married filing separately, and then file a brand new return for her? Or, how does this work?

Answer 1

You would file amended tax returns, they must be filed before April 15th because Married Filing Joint returns can not have a change to Married Filing Separate after the due date of the return.
In column A on both 1040X's you report what was on the original return
In Column C put what the MFS figures would be for yours
In Column B put the dollar differences between A and B


Make sure to notate on the back of the 1040X what the changes were and the reason for filing the 1040X
The 1040X must be mailed in and takes 8 too\ 12 weeks to process
File a new return for her
If there is any balance owed on either amended return mail the payment in with the return. make sure the corresponding SS# is written on the check


Publication 17 chapter 1 page 18

Amended Returns and Claims for Refund
You should correct your return if, after you have filed it, you find that:

You did not report some income,

You claimed deductions or credits you should not have claimed,

You did not claim deductions or credits you could have claimed, or

You should have claimed a different filing status. (Once you file a joint return, you cannot choose to file separate returns for that year after the due date of the return. However, an executor may be able to make this change for a deceased spouse.)

If you need a copy of your return, see Copies of returns under What Records Should I Keep, earlier in this chapter.

Answer 2

You can't amend a joint return into two separate returns. You would be allowed to go the other way, from married filing separately to a joint return.

Answer 3

You should amend the joint return, change the filing status to separate, take out all her income. On the amend return (1040X) there's a place where you need to explain why you're amending the original return -- explain yourself there.

Then she should file her own return, a new return, as married filing separate. That return will have just her income.

If you have any joint income (bank interest, taxable state refunds) you need to agree how to split them. 50/50 is the obvious choice, but your situation may indicate doing this differently.

You won't be able to file either of these electronically. You'll need to print the returns and mail them in.

Answer 4

What you will need to do is file a 1040X for you and then file a new return for your wife. You will need to subtract out all of her income from your return. Make sure to do this before April 17th or you will not be able to change your filing status.

Also, if you file separately, make sure that if you itemize that your wife itemizes as well.

Answer 5

I would think so if you are going to file the taxes, joint or not. If you don't subtract her information won't be used twice. You should be calling whomever filed your taxes!