Filing Status on Taxes
One goal my husband and I have is building our finances. Something that we’ve been working on is becoming more informed with our financial options, which includes getting our taxes done effectively.
It sounds simple, but having the right filing status on your taxes is very important. Your filing status is a factor in the standard deduction you can take and your tax rate. On your 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ, you will make your filing status selection on line 5.
Tax Filing Status
What are the five filing statuses?
Right now the IRS recognizes 5 statuses for filing your taxes.
- Single
- Head of Household
- Married Filing Jointly
- Married Filing Separately
- Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child
I’ll describe them more in a bit. If you somehow qualify for more than one status, consider filing with the status that can give you the lowest tax rate. For example, if your status is married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, you generally have the lowest tax rate.
What are the standard deductions you can take?
The IRS adjusts the amount due to factors such as inflation. For 2009, the standard deductions are:
- Single: $5,700
- Married (Filing Separately): $5,700
- Head of Household: $8,350
- Married (Filing Jointly): $11,400
- Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child: $11,400
Note: If you’re 65 or older and/or you are blind (as determined by a eye doctor), you may be entitled to a higher standard deduction.
As you can see with the different statuses, you can significantly lower the amount of your income that is taxed by choosing a filing status that fits your circumstances.
How are the qualifications for each of the filing status?
Single
On December 31 of the tax year you filing for, you’re considered single by the IRS if you:
- were never married
- were legally separated or divorced
- widowed before January 1 and did not remarry during the tax year
Depending on your personal circumstances, you may be able to get a lower tax if you fall under widow(er) with dependent child or head of household.
Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child
You’re considered a qualifying widow(er) if you, as of December 31 of the tax year:
- were widowed before January 1 of the tax year
- have a child/stepchild that you care for all year and can claim an exemption (there are some exceptions)
- have have kept the home, paying more than half the cost (ex. rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc)
Note: You could file as married filed jointly if your spouse died during the tax year. After that you can file the next two years as a qualifying widow(er). According to the IRS, you can file with a Form 1040 or Form 1040A.
Married (Filing Separately)
You can be married filing separately if, as of December 31 of the tax year, you:
- are married
- can provide spouse’s name and social security number on the tax return
This may be an option if you only want to be responsible for your individual tax liability or if you spouse won’t agree to filing a joint tax return.
With this status you only have to report your income. If your spouses itemizes their deductions, you must as well, even if it is lower than the standard deduction.
Note: You can not claim earned income credit with married filing separately. According to the IRS, you can file with a Form 1040 or Form 1040A. In some cases, you may want to file as head of household, provided you meet the qualifications.
Married (Filing Jointly)
You can be married filing jointly if you, as of December 31:
- are married
- include your own and your spouse’s income
- both sign the tax tax return
Even if you have only one income, you can still file a joint return. Please know that both spouses are responsible for taxes due.
Head of Household
You can be considered head of household if you on December 31 of the tax year if you:
- are unmarried or consider unmarried, such as spending last 6 months apart from your spouse
- have have kept the home, paying more than half the cost (ex. rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc)
- had a qualifying person living with you for more than half the year
The IRS has very specific guidelines on who is considered a qualifying person for tax purposes. You can get an earned income credit with the status.
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As you can see there are factors you need consider when choosing your filing status. Make sure you choose a status that is applicable and advantageous to you and your family.
Please be aware, Iíve done my best to ensure that the above listed amounts are current for tax year 2009, but you should always double-check to make sure that youíre working with valid information.
Yuliya:
The best place to ask this question is to our tax experts in the TurboTax Live Community. We don’t answer tax questions in blog comments. Thanks!
Go here and I am sure you’ll find or get an answer very fast. https://ttlc.intuit.com/app/full_page
Thanks,
Scott
Hi,
my question is a lilttle complecated.
Me and my husband were married on Dec 20 2009.
I would like to file jointly, which I know I can.
But my question is about his income. He is nonresident, he is from South Africa, I am currently filling for him to USCIS to establish his status, its still in process, therefore he doesn’t have a social security number nor work athourization, however, he opened his own LLC (lim liability corp) and invoice companies through it if he gets a job. He has done some jobs during the year 2009. So the question is do I need to add that income to our tax return, or does he not claim any income when we file together and then do a separate return for his LLC??
Thank you
last year i filed jointly, but this year jointly yielded a far lower refund than expected. when i click married filing separately the refund amount is dramatically more. my question is will i need to start over in turbotax for my spouse by preparing a separate return for my wife? if so how do i choose who to apply deductions to or assign child credit to?
I was married in New Zealand in May 2009. My husband is a non-resident alien and we have not live together the last 6 months. However I have not been paying over half the rent in my home as I have several roommates and we split the cost so I can’t file as HOH. I’m very confused as to which way I should file. As of now my husband and I have completely separate incomes and only support ourselves for the time being.
Hi Dustin,
If you are married you can chose to file two ways:
- Married filing separately
- Married filing jointly
Hope that helps.
Ashley
Joyce, what would you like to know?
Ashley
I would like to know about my refund and my turbo tax prepaid card
I am married, and have been since April of 2009. Howeer, my wife has ever legally changed her name. Does this mean we can file single?
Hi Mary,
I am so sorry to hear about your husband. TurboTax will guide you through the tax preparation process. I would be happy to provide you with a free copy to get you started.
I will contact you via e-mail.
Ashley
I am 73 years old. Up until now, my husband and I filed jointly. However, he passed away in April of 2009. How do I file taxes? I get SS and a pension from him? I have been getting payments from these sources since June/July of 2009.
Thanks!