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View Full Version : Not sure if husband needs to sign tax returns ?


Rose1378
Mar 8, 2009, 10:49 PM
My filing status is married but I do not live with my husband and he does not work . I have not lived with him for 6months . Will I need him to sign anything when getting my taxes done or can I just go on Married Filing Separately ? Please help am so confused !

ebaines
Mar 9, 2009, 08:33 AM
You are most likely best off filing as Married Filing Jointly, but to do this it is required that you both sign the return. If he refuses to do so, then unfortunately you will have to file as Married filing Single, which will probably make your tax bill higher than if you filed as MFJ. So obviously you are best off if you can work together on this.

One other thing - you don't mention whether you have any dependents, but if you do - you may be allowed to file as Head of Household, but only if you meet certain requirements that allow you to claim that you are "essentially unmarried" even though you are not yet legally separated. This would save you some money over filing as MFS. Post back if you want clarification on this possibility.

Rose1378
Mar 9, 2009, 08:35 PM
No dependents,husband will not sign. If I filing mfs would that mean I have to pay out ?

ebaines
Mar 10, 2009, 05:32 AM
If I filing mfs would that mean I have to pay out ?
Impossible to say without knowing the numbers. Dependng on your income level you will probably owe more for taxes than if you were able to file as MFJ. If you've had withholding from your wages taken out all year at a rate consistent with MFJ, you may very well owe some extra. You'll just have to complete your tax forms and see.