tax experts

[runwad]

Last year when doing our taxes we filed married filing jointly, husband's name and info listed first, got a refund. This year filed the same way(mfj)but accidentally entered my info first. We have to pay because of a change in income and loss of child tax credit. Since we owe does it matter that I did not keep our return with husbands info listed first as last year? Should I do it over? Didn't know if it matter since we weren't getting a refund. Please advise. Thanks

 

[graceesmom]

Last year married filing jointly, husband's name and info listed first, got a refund. This year filed the same way but accidentally entered my info first. We have to pay. Does it matter that I did not keep our return with husbands info listed first as last year? Should I do it over? Didn't know if it matter since we weren't getting a refund. Please advise. Thanks

It shouldn't matter. When you file married filing jointly the taxable income is combined for the 2 of you.

The first $17,400 in taxable income is taxed at 10%
From $17,400-$70,700 is taxed at 15%
From $70,701-142,200 is taxed at at 25%
From $142,200- $217,450 is taxed at 28%
From $217,451- $388,350 is taxed at 33%
Anything over $388,350 is taxed at 35%

 

[runwad]

No not on the amounts just some direction I read somewhere said the order that the info is listed should be the same from the past year to not hold up the refund, but since we had to pay I didn't know if that would matter. I don't want to redo it all if I don't have to. I'm not questioning tax rate just the order the info is entered from year to year. I need Mike? the retired CPA to answer me, i think that his name?

 

[JavArmy]

You should be fine. Sometimes it may take a little longer to get your refund back (little things like this seem to confuse the IRS from time to time), but it shouldn't cause any issues Good luck!

Don't forget, after you submit your taxes you can go to IRS.Gov and click on the "where's my refund" link if you are expecting a refund, and it can give you the status of your refund. Its usually not a lot of info, but that will be the first place that you would be able to see if something was wrong. If it says it can't find your return, don't freak out too much. Their website has been crashing from people checking their refund status too much! Just check again later in the day or the next day. It seems like its best to check in the mornings

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Technically it does not matter. However, I have always tried to keep consistency for my clients, even before I used a computer to print the returns. And with the computer when I bring basic information forward it just pulls from the prior year return.

I can see a very minor possible problem with relation to selection of a return for audit. One thing the IRS computer does is compare the current return to prior returns in looking for probability of an error. I am just not sure how sophisticated this system is when the taxpayer and spouse SSANs are switched.

 

[Huff]

Unrelated to taxes this reminded me of a situation. When taking out loans alternate back and forth as to who is listed first. I know of a few women that have found that after many years with everything listed with their husbands name first, they find they have a low or no credit record at all.