MO says you must use the same filing status as used on your federal return. You have two choices: 1. File separately federal and MO or 2. File jointly as residents of MO.
To file joint returns you and you spouse need to have the same MO filing statuses. Use the steps below to file jointly Federal and MO. If you indicate you lived in different states that will cause a different filing status on your MO return. If you indicate you had zero MO income as military with MO home of record while stationed outside of MO that will cause a different filing status.
The best way to handle the MO joint return is to have you both be MO residents and since you both have active military pay all of it will be excluded from MO taxable income and the withholding will be refunded.
There is no TX filing. Also, if you only have military pay then you have no MS filing requirement. If your spouse has only military pay they have no ND filing requirement.
Going forward I suggest you both adopt TX as your resident states and not have any state tax withholding nor file any state income tax returns. As the spouse of a military member whose home of record is TX you can simply claim TX as your home state as well. Get with your military finance to change your state of residence going forward to stop MO withholding.
- To begin you may need to delete the MO state return and start over. Here is a link to assist with that.
- In the federal "My Info" section edit your information and your spouse's information to indicate MO as your resident states all year.
- Next start a MO return
- Answer yes your home of record was MO
- Answer yes you received non-military income or stayed in MO 30 days or more
- Continue
- Answer yes your spouse's home of record is MO
- Answer yes your spouse received non-military income or stayed in MO 30 days or more
- Continue
- Answer the prior year questions
- Continue as applicable to the page asking about the MO county
- Scroll to and select "NONRESIDENT"
- Continue
- In the "Adjustments" section you will arrive at a page to enter/verify your military pay that is to be excluded
- Continue through the adjustments as applicable; you'll arrive at a page for military adjustment. You can re-enter the military pay if you wish but it should already be excluded from earlier entries
- Continue as needed and you can select MO Bottom line section to verify everything was excluded.
