Tuesday, May 11, 2010

If we file “married filing separately” and I itemize, then my husband must also itemize?

Does that mean that we can pick which deductions to put on a return or must one person take all the itemized deductions and the other will not have any.


If I take the home interest and taxes on my return my husband cannot take those same deductions on his return but can we split them on each return since we each pay ½.


How would the IRS know there was a split if the mortgage statement comes in my SSN?


Can we split who takes the children. Me one, him one?


Thanks.If we file “married filing separately” and I itemize, then my husband must also itemize?
Yes, you can each claim one child. As for the mortgage, property tax, and interst, that can only be claimed by one of you. Suggest if your going to file this way yearly, you alternate the home deductions.If we file “married filing separately” and I itemize, then my husband must also itemize?
You husband is not allowed to claim anything for a standard deduction is you itemize. Technically, he does not have to list any itemized deductions on his return, even if you itemize on your return. However, if you itemize and he does not list any itemized deductions, then he is not allowed to claim any deductions -- itemized or standard. In either words, if either of you claims any itemized deduction, then neither of you can claim any standard deduction.





If you all lived together (meaning that, for at least half the year, the children were living with both parents together), then you can each claim one of the children. However, you cannot split any one child. Each child can be claimed on only one return (for example, if there were 3 children, you could not each claim 1.5).
No you can not pick and choose which tax return to put the itemized deductions.





See page 5 of IRS pub 504. If you used joint funds to pay the mortgage, you can deduct half only.

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