11/16
November 17, 2016
What’s your status? An accurate tax return depends partly on using the right filing status. When one taxpayer’s living situation changed during the year, the IRS said he used the wrong filing status, and rejected his tax return. During that year, the taxpayer, his wife and minor children all lived together, but then separated. His return was prepared using the head of household status, which generally results in lower tax. Because the taxpayer was still married at year end, he was required to use the married filing separately status. (TC Memo 2016-200)