Married but filing separate taxes in DC

[Anonymous]

Has anyone switched from jointly to separately? Is it a good idea?
Thanks. (And yes, I know I should talk to a tax professional about this but I thought I first tap into the free professional source we so often have on this board).

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone switched from jointly to separately? Is it a good idea?
Thanks. (And yes, I know I should talk to a tax professional about this but I thought I first tap into the free professional source we so often have on this board).

I'm not a tax professional, I don't play one on TV, and I've never slept in a Holiday Inn Express. However, DC has filing status that's called something along the lines of "Married filing separately on the same return" which we used last year. It resulted in a larger return than the other filing status's would have. However, the DC Dept. of Revenue got it messed up and tried to make us pay instead of them pay us. It took two tries to get it sorted out. I know of another family that filed with the same status and also had their return messed up. They were able to resolve it with a single phone call.

[Anonymous]

Wow, Jsteele I did not know that I would draw YOUR response (at first glance I was afraid you were banning my question). Anyway, thanks! Follow up question, is it true that once you go separately, you can not go back to jointly for 5 years?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, Jsteele I did not know that I would draw YOUR response (at first glance I was afraid you were banning my question). Anyway, thanks! Follow up question, is it true that once you go separately, you can not go back to jointly for 5 years?

I don't know anything about that. I plan to file the same way as last year in any case.

[Anonymous]

We've been doing "married filing separately on the same return" for several years now. TurboTax will calculate it both ways and let you know which one results in a lower tax liability. I don't know anything about the 5 year rule. If you have specific reference, please post.

[Anonymous]

I love turbo tax - it is easy and offers clear choices.

[Anonymous]

my 85 year old father will be filling married but separate for the very first time. His wife beat him to it and filled her taxes this way already. What is her advantage in doing it first?

[Anonymous]

We are in MD, so not sure if this will help...

My DH and I file separate returns. Primarily b/c of our inordinately high medical expenses, as our combined salaries would negate the "benefit". If you have extenuating circumstances like that, I think it can make it a difference.

[Anonymous]

I agree - try it on turbotax first. it saved us a lot of money to do the separate filing on same tax return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree - try it on turbotax first. it saved us a lot of money to do the separate filing on same tax return.

Same here. I have no idea why, but we saved about $2000 this way. It seems absurd to me, but that's the way it is.