filling status head of household

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Do you have a child that would even qualify you to file head of household if you were single ?

[CowBoE 429]

If I were USCIS personnel, and one of the spouse filed as "Single" for 3 years of tax,

I think that would raise my eye brows, and therefore, at a minimum, I think they will

ask some tough questions.

Though it depends on the income level, other investments and deductibles,

I thought for many, there is actually tax benefit to file either Married filing jointly

or Married filing separately vs. Single, which I thought was taxed the most.

Something doesn't sound right that you guys would file jointly, but not for those 3 years.

Did something happened to the relationship? What was the reason for your wife filing "single"?

Lastly...please fill out your timeline.

[Amhara 460]

If I were USCIS personnel, and one of the spouse filed as "Single" for 3 years of tax,

I think that would raise my eye brows, and therefore, at a minimum, I think they will

ask some tough questions.

Though it depends on the income level, other investments and deductibles,

I thought for many, there is actually tax benefit to file either Married filing jointly

or Married filing separately vs. Single, which I thought was taxed the most.

Something doesn't sound right that you guys would file jointly, but not for those 3 years.

Did something happened to the relationship? What was the reason for your wife filing "single"?

Lastly...please fill out your timeline.

Sounds like to me that the wife was able to receive the earned income credit by filing as HOH and they would have only gotten back a refund of their own withholdings if they would have filed jointly. This is the main reason why people file as single/HOH when they are actually married. Either that or one of them didn't want to claim all their income, and the other spouse was afraid of getting stuck with a large tax bill if audited.

Yes, JV4RMGTO, I am being judgmental. By intentionally choosing the wrong filing status on your returns year after year you are cheating our American tax system. I had been an income tax auditor for many years and I seen many immigrants faithfully pay their taxes and some who have not. I feel that many Americans are prejudice against immigrants (especially those from Mexico) because they feel that they don't pay their fair share of taxes. I have audited many resident and non-resident Mexicans living in America that have paid their taxes. The ones that do not - are giving xenophobes a good reason to keep our fiances, spouses and other loved family members away from us for many months or even years.

Okay, stepping off my soap box now. Please consider your reasons on why you would file using the wrong filing status and think of the total consequences before you act. I know it's tough out here - but we are supposed to be all in this together...

[Done--Really 331]

It's easy enough to get right with the IRS by filing amended returns, and I guess we will know what happened with USCIS next Monday -- if the OP tells us, of course.

[JV4RMGTO 1]

well we amended 2012 2013 and 2014 i made copies to take with me to interview on monday, am i suppose to take 3 year tax returns or 5

[CowBoE 429]

Sounds like to me that the wife was able to receive the earned income credit by filing as HOH and they would have only gotten back a refund of their own withholdings if they would have filed jointly. This is the main reason why people file as single/HOH when they are actually married. Either that or one of them didn't want to claim all their income, and the other spouse was afraid of getting stuck with a large tax bill if audited.

Yes, JV4RMGTO, I am being judgmental. By intentionally choosing the wrong filing status on your returns year after year you are cheating our American tax system. I had been an income tax auditor for many years and I seen many immigrants faithfully pay their taxes and some who have not. I feel that many Americans are prejudice against immigrants (especially those from Mexico) because they feel that they don't pay their fair share of taxes. I have audited many resident and non-resident Mexicans living in America that have paid their taxes. The ones that do not - are giving xenophobes a good reason to keep our fiances, spouses and other loved family members away from us for many months or even years.

Okay, stepping off my soap box now. Please consider your reasons on why you would file using the wrong filing status and think of the total consequences before you act. I know it's tough out here - but we are supposed to be all in this together...

Yeah...anyone can make mistakes...and to some degree some mistakes can be forgiven with proper consequences,

but intentional mis-filing is pretty upsetting if they are doing it (knowingly) illegally to dodge their fair share of tax pay..

as one wants to live off other's tax.

As a long time computer programmer, it's really mind boggling to think why IRS has such holes in their program.

It doesn't take much coding to cross check SSN of married couples, especially if their filing is conflicting.

One filing as "married filing jointly" and the other as "single" is very easy to detect and clear red sign.

If they were divorced, they would both had to file as "single" or as "head of household".

And we need government system to be able to cross-check with each other's systems.

well we amended 2012 2013 and 2014 i made copies to take with me to interview on monday, am i suppose to take 3 year tax returns or 5

That's good. Tha'ts the right thing to do.

Normally it should be 3.

[Amhara 460]

Yeah...anyone can make mistakes...and to some degree some mistakes can be forgiven with proper consequences,

but intentional mis-filing is pretty upsetting if they are doing it (knowingly) illegally to dodge their fair share of tax pay..

as one wants to live off other's tax.

As a long time computer programmer, it's really mind boggling to think why IRS has such holes in their program.

It doesn't take much coding to cross check SSN of married couples, especially if their filing is conflicting.

One filing as "married filing jointly" and the other as "single" is very easy to detect and clear red sign.

If they were divorced, they would both had to file as "single" or as "head of household".

And we need government system to be able to cross-check with each other's systems.

I don't know if it is a hole or not. If a couple never files their married status (joint or separate), then the Service won't make that connection. Even if a man and woman are reporting the same residence, no one from a governmental standpoint can or should assume they are married - they could be siblings.

One thing that I appreciate from our tax system is that it relies on voluntary reporting. I would hate it if the government started knocking on everyone's doors or mailing out mass letters to check things, such as filing status. Our government should have limited authority. Audits should be conducted to promote taxpayer voluntary compliance and to reduce the tax gap - not to barge into everyone's lives or population control.

But yes, we all make mistakes, don't we? We all get tempted, don't we? We all get lied to, don't we? The reason for filing this way could be many. A mistake, a personal justification, a lying/shady tax preparer. But I agree with the amended returns...we all need erasers on our pencils!!!

[CowBoE 429]

I don't know if it is a hole or not. If a couple never files their married status (joint or separate), then the Service won't make that connection. Even if a man and woman are reporting the same residence, no one from a governmental standpoint can or should assume they are married - they could be siblings.

One thing that I appreciate from our tax system is that it relies on voluntary reporting. I would hate it if the government started knocking on everyone's doors or mailing out mass letters to check things, such as filing status. Our government should have limited authority. Audits should be conducted to promote taxpayer voluntary compliance and to reduce the tax gap - not to barge into everyone's lives or population control.

But yes, we all make mistakes, don't we? We all get tempted, don't we? We all get lied to, don't we? The reason for filing this way could be many. A mistake, a personal justification, a lying/shady tax preparer. But I agree with the amended returns...we all need erasers on our pencils!!!

They had filed jointly before...just those 3 years they didn't.