CT State Tax for Head of Household Filing Status

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
April 10, 2022
1 reply
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Hi, I am using Turbotax Deluxe and filing as head of household. I am filing as CT resident while my wife will be filing her own returns as a NY resident. Turbotax is not letting me do my CT state tax return saying that "Your state may require you and your spouse to file separate returns even though you've filed a joint return for federal purposes. To do this, you must create a new federal return and use the filing status "Married Filing Separately.""

However, I am not filing a joint return for my federal tax. I am filing as Head of Household. Do I really need to create a dummy Federal return with status of married filing separately and use that dummy return to be able to e-file my CT taxes?

Thanks.

DMarkM1

No, go back to the "My Info" section and if you have entered any spouse information delete it and "Continue" to ensure that change registers. Next "Edit" your filing status. Click "Single" as your filing status. Click continue to ensure that change registers; go through the interview to verify "Head of Household" (HOH) is selected for you.

All of this assumes you meet the special rules to file HOH when married as listed below extracted from Publication 501.

To qualify for head of household status, you must be either unmarried or considered unmarried on the last day of the year. You are considered unmarried on the last day of the tax year if you meet all the following tests.

You file a separate return. A separate return includes a return claiming married filing separately, single, or head of household filing status.
You paid more than half the cost of keeping up your home for the tax year.
Your spouse didn't live in your home during the last 6 months of the tax year. Your spouse is considered to live in your home even if he or she is temporarily absent due to special circumstances. See Temporary absences, later.
Your home was the main home of your child, stepchild, or foster child for more than half the year. (See Home of qualifying person, later, for rules applying to a child's birth, death, or temporary absence during the year.)
You must be able to claim the child as a dependent. However, you meet this test if you can't claim the child as a dependent only because the noncustodial parent can claim the child using the rules described, later, in Children of divorced or separated parents (or parents who live apart) under Qualifying Child or in Support Test for Children of Divorced or Separated Parents (or Parents Who Live Apart) under Qualifying Relative. The general rules for claiming a child as a dependent are explained, later, under Dependents.

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alphacharlie1Author

Thanks. I did so and did press continue for the change to register. However, it feels that turbotax is stuck (perhaps a bug in the software). I continue to get the following message:

"Based on your Connecticut residency, it turns out you'll need to file your Connecticut return as married filing separately instead of married filing jointly (the filing status on your federal return)."

The message doesn't makes sense because I am not filing as married filing jointly on my federal. I am filing as Head of Household on federal.

What else I could do? Thanks.