Filing Joint vs separately?

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Subject Author Date Filing Joint vs separately? Angelo Campanella 11-24-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? Phil Marti 11-24-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? Mark Bole 11-24-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? Mark Bole 11-24-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? D. Stussy 11-24-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? Phil Marti 11-25-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? Gil Faver 11-25-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? D. Stussy 11-25-2008  Re: Filing Joint vs separately? Mark Bole 11-25-2008
Posted by Angelo Campanella on November 24, 2008, 6:26 pm Please log in for more thread options         I know that this is an old saw, but my wife died this past May, and I soon will need to file our taxes for TY2008 (we have been filing separately through '07). Her income for this 2008 year will be somewhat less than mine, while my income will stay about the same as '07. We do not have much to file as personal expenses. Her medical expenses were not great this year. The choice between taking a standard deduction or calculating our A/B deductables was a toss-up last year, with the AMT we are both due making a difference in the compartive calculation. I will be using Turbo-tax.         You might advise he level of Turbo Tax I shoulod buy this year. (I am self-employed and I'm sill active at it).         Angelo Campanella -- << ------------------------------------------------------- >> << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >> << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >> << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >> << >> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >> << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >> << are at www.asktax.org. >> << Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >> << ------------------------------------------------------- >> Posted by Phil Marti on November 24, 2008, 7:38 pm Please log in for more thread options "Angelo Campanella" wrote: in message > I know that this is an old saw, but my wife died this past May, and I soon > will need to file our taxes for TY2008 (we have been filing separately > through '07). Her income for this 2008 year will be somewhat less than > mine, while my income will stay about the same as '07. We do not have much > to file as personal expenses. Her medical expenses were not great this > year. The choice between taking a standard deduction or calculating our > A/B deductables was a toss-up last year, with the AMT we are both due > making a difference in the compartive calculation. I will be using > Turbo-tax. > > You might advise he level of Turbo Tax I shoulod buy this year. (I am > self-employed and I'm sill active at it). My condolences on your loss. The death of your wife doesn't change your software needs. If you are not her personal representative you'll have to coordinate things with that person, who has the authority to decide how her final return is filed. Because she had less than half a year's income it may result in less total tax if you file a joint return with her, which is allowed as long as her personal rep approves and you have not remarried by December 31. If you have dependent children you may be eligible for surviving spouse filing status in 2009-10. See IRS Publication 501. -- Phil Marti Clarksburg, MD -- << ------------------------------------------------------- >> << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >> << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >> << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >> << >> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >> << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >> << are at www.asktax.org. >> << Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >> << ------------------------------------------------------- >> Posted by Mark Bole on November 24, 2008, 8:03 pm Please log in for more thread options Phil Marti wrote: > "Angelo Campanella" wrote: >> The choice between taking a standard deduction or calculating our >> A/B deductables was a toss-up last year, with the AMT we are both due >> making a difference in the compartive calculation. I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. > If you are not her personal representative you'll have to coordinate things > with that person, who has the authority to decide how her final return is > filed. If no personal representative is appointed by the due date of the return, then the surviving spouse can file the joint return alone (although a personal representative can later revoke that choice for up to one year). > > If you have dependent children you may be eligible for surviving spouse > filing status in 2009-10. See IRS Publication 501. > What you are referring to is known to the IRS as "Qualifying Widow(er)" filing status. -Mark Bole -- << ------------------------------------------------------- >> << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >> << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >> << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >> << >> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >> << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >> << are at www.asktax.org. >> << Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >> << ------------------------------------------------------- >> Posted by Mark Bole on November 24, 2008, 8:03 pm Please log in for more thread options Phil Marti wrote: > "Angelo Campanella" wrote: >> The choice between taking a standard deduction or calculating our >> A/B deductables was a toss-up last year, with the AMT we are both due >> making a difference in the compartive calculation. I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. > If you are not her personal representative you'll have to coordinate things > with that person, who has the authority to decide how her final return is > filed. If no personal representative is appointed by the due date of the return, then the surviving spouse can file the joint return alone (although a personal representative can later revoke that choice for up to one year). > > If you have dependent children you may be eligible for surviving spouse > filing status in 2009-10. See IRS Publication 501. > What you are referring to is known to the IRS as "Qualifying Widow(er)" filing status. -Mark Bole -- << ------------------------------------------------------- >> << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >> << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >> << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >> << >> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >> << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >> << are at www.asktax.org. >> << Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >> << ------------------------------------------------------- >> Posted by D. Stussy on November 24, 2008, 10:47 pm Please log in for more thread options > "Angelo Campanella" wrote: > > in message > > I know that this is an old saw, but my wife died this past May, and I soon > > will need to file our taxes for TY2008 (we have been filing separately > > through '07). Her income for this 2008 year will be somewhat less than > > mine, while my income will stay about the same as '07. We do not have much > > to file as personal expenses. Her medical expenses were not great this > > year. The choice between taking a standard deduction or calculating our > > A/B deductables was a toss-up last year, with the AMT we are both due > > making a difference in the compartive calculation. I will be using > > Turbo-tax. > > > > You might advise he level of Turbo Tax I shoulod buy this year. (I am > > self-employed and I'm sill active at it). > > My condolences on your loss. > > The death of your wife doesn't change your software needs. > > If you are not her personal representative you'll have to coordinate things > with that person, who has the authority to decide how her final return is > filed. Because she had less than half a year's income it may result in less > total tax if you file a joint return with her, which is allowed as long as > her personal rep approves and you have not remarried by December 31. > > If you have dependent children you may be eligible for surviving spouse > filing status in 2009-10. See IRS Publication 501. No, he's not. Qualified Widow[er] status is for the 2 years AFTER death, not the year OF death. -- << ------------------------------------------------------- >> << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >> << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >> << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >> << >> << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >> << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >> << are at www.asktax.org. >> << Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >> << ------------------------------------------------------- >> Similar Threads Posted Married filing joint or separately? 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