How Can I File as a Married Taxpayer if I Reunite With My Ex-Husband?
Full Question:
Answer:
The answer will depend on where you were remarried or not. If you were not remarried and filed as married, you should consult a tax professional. An unlawful filing occurs when the purported spouses were not legally married.
The following information is from the IRS:
Marital Status
In general, your filing status depends on whether you are considered unmarried or married. For federal tax purposes, a marriage means only a legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife.
Unmarried persons. You are considered unmarried for the whole year if, on the last day of your tax year, you are unmarried or legally separated from your spouse under a divorce or separate maintenance decree. State law governs whether you are married or legally separated under a divorce or separate maintenance decree.
Divorced persons. If you are divorced under a final decree by the last day of the year, you are considered unmarried for the whole year.
Divorce and remarriage. If you obtain a divorce in one year for the sole purpose of filing tax returns as unmarried individuals, and at the time of divorce you intended to and did remarry each other in the next tax year, you and your spouse must file as married individuals.
Annulled marriages. If you obtain a court decree of annulment, which holds that no valid marriage ever existed, you are considered unmarried even if you filed joint returns for earlier years. You must file Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, claiming single or head of household status for each tax year affected by the annulment that is not closed by the statute of limitations for filing a tax return. The statute of limitations generally does not end until 3 years after your original return was filed.
Head of household or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child. If you are considered unmarried, you may be able to file as a head of household or as a qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child. See Head of Household and Qualifying Widow(er) With Dependent Child to see if you qualify.
Married persons. If you are considered married for the whole year, you and your spouse can file a joint return, or you can file separate returns.
Considered married. You are considered married for the whole year if on the last day of your tax year you and your spouse meet any one of the following tests.
1. You are married and living together as husband and wife.
2. You are living together in a common law marriage that is recognized in the state where you now live or in the state where the common law marriage began.
3. You are married and living apart, but not legally separated under a decree of divorce or separate maintenance.
4. You are separated under an interlocutory (not final) decree of divorce. For purposes of filing a joint return, you are not considered divorced
