Money & Debt

With tax season quickly approaching, you can find some tips for filing with changed circumstances. Please be mindful when filing your taxes to avoid tax scams. The IRS will never initiate contact using email, phone calls, social media or text messages. First contact generally comes in the mail. 

Just married

Recently married taxpayers should keep a few things in mind to make sure their taxes go smoothly. If you and/or your spouse has a name change, it is important to report that change to the Social Security Administration. To update this information, you should file Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card.

If you and/or your spouse has an address change, that change needs to be recorded with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Postal Service. You can do this by filing IRS Form 8822, Change of Address. You can also notify the postal service through USPS.com.

If you are planning on changing your tax withholding at your workplace, you must give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance within 10 days. And, if you are married as of December 31, the law says you have been married for the whole year for tax purposes. This is good to remember when you are deciding whether to file your taxes jointly or separately. For more tips on filing as a married taxpayer, visit the Internal Revenue Service website.

Just divorced

The IRS considers a couple married for tax filing purposes until the divorce is finalized. This means that if you are separated but have not obtained a final decree of divorce before December 31 of the tax year, you must file as a married person at tax time. If you are considered legally separated or divorced by December 31, you should file as a single person for that tax year.

When someone becomes divorced or separated, they usually need to file a new W-4 Form with their employer to claim the proper withholding. The Tax Withholding Estimator tool on IRS.gov can help people figure out if they're withholding the correct amount. If you receive alimony, you do not need to pay taxes on that alimony. However, you still must report that amount to the IRS in a Schedule 1 (Form 1040), Additional Income and Adjustments to Income Form.

If there are children involved in the divorce, you may have questions about which parent can claim the child on their tax return. Generally, the parent with custody of a child can claim that child on their tax return. If parents split custody fifty-fifty and aren't filing a joint return, they'll have to decide which parent gets to claim the child. There are tie-breaker rules if the parents can't agree. 

Your ex-spouse may be filing joint tax returns, forging your signature on joint tax returns, forcing you to sign a joint tax return, even after you have separated or divorced. You may qualify for various "innocent spouse" relieves from the IRS. Learn more about it here.

For more information about tax consequences for divorced people, you can visit the Internal Revenue Service website.

New dependent

You may be adding a new dependent to your taxes. A dependent can be living in or outside the U.S. so long as you provide more than 50% of their financial support. Learn more about who qualifies as a dependent. You can visit the IRS website to see some frequently asked questions about dependents.