Can I switch from married filing jointly to married filing separately for this tax year?

You're in a bit of a tricky situation. Once you've filed a joint return, you generally can't switch to filing separately after the due date of the return (typically April 15th). However, since you filed recently and your refund hasn't been processed yet, you may have options. You can try to withdraw your current return before it's processed by calling the IRS directly. Then file two separate returns before the deadline. Alternatively, you could file an amended return (Form 1040-X) after your original return is processed, though changing from joint to separate is one of the few amendments that's typically not allowed after the deadline.

I went through something kinda similar last year and found this website https://taxr.ai super helpful for figuring out my options. You can upload your tax documents and it analyzes everything, then explains what your options are based on your specific situation. For me, I was worried about my husband's 1099 work too and wasn't sure if we should file together. The site helped me understand exactly what liability I might have if we filed jointly vs separately. It even pointed out some deductions I would lose by filing separately that I hadn't considered. Saved me from making a costly mistake!

Just wanted to update about my experience with taxr.ai since I was skeptical in my earlier question. I actually tried it after all and it was really enlightening! Showed me that filing separately would cost us nearly $4,700 more in taxes because of lost credits and higher tax brackets. BUT it also identified that my husband's business deductions were pretty aggressive and flagged several that might trigger an audit. The analysis helped me have an actual productive conversation with my husband about his tax reporting instead of just my vague suspicions. We ended up staying with joint filing but he revised his business expenses to be more reasonable. The peace of mind was definitely worth it!

If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS about withdrawing your return (which you probably will - their phone lines are INSANE), try using https://claimyr.com - it's this service that gets you through to an actual IRS agent without the ridiculous wait times. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I had to deal with changing some tax stuff last year and spent DAYS trying to get through to a human at the IRS. Then I found Claimyr and got connected to an agent in under 20 minutes. They were able to tell me exactly what I needed to do to fix my situation and saved me hours of frustration.

I'll admit I was totally wrong about Claimyr in my skeptical comment. After seeing the responses here, I decided to try it because I've been trying to resolve an issue with my tax transcript for weeks. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 37 minutes (way better than the 3+ hours I spent last time I called). The agent was able to see that my amended return was actually already in process even though the online status showed nothing. Saved me from filing another amendment that would have just complicated things further. Worth every penny just for the time saved and stress reduction!

Something else to consider - if you do manage to switch to married filing separately, be aware that both of you have to take the same approach to deductions. If one itemizes, the other must also itemize even if taking the standard deduction would be better for them. There are also several credits you'll lose eligibility for, like the Earned Income Credit and typically education credits. Sometimes the protection isn't worth the higher tax bill. My ex and I tried separate filing one year and ended up paying almost $5,800 more in combined taxes than we would have filing jointly.

Just to give another perspective - my wife and I file separately EVERY year even though we pay more in taxes. I'm self-employed with some complicated investments, and she's a w2 employee who's very risk-averse. Filing separately gives her peace of mind that she's not liable for any potential issues with my business reporting. For us, the extra ~$3,200 we pay in additional tax is worth the relationship harmony and her peace of mind. Sometimes the financial cost isn't the only factor to consider.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My spouse has been doing some freelance work and I'm not entirely confident in how he's handling the tax reporting. From what I've learned, you might still have a narrow window to withdraw your return if it hasn't been processed yet, but you'll need both spouses to agree to the withdrawal. One thing I'd suggest is calling the IRS practitioner priority line (if you're working with a tax pro) or the regular taxpayer assistance line as early as possible - like right when they open at 7 AM. The wait times are usually shorter in the morning. You'll want to ask specifically about withdrawing an electronically filed return that's still being processed. Also, make sure you understand exactly what liability protection you'd actually get from filing separately. It's not a magic shield - you're still jointly liable for taxes on joint income and assets. The protection mainly applies to situations where one spouse has unreported income or fraudulent deductions that the other spouse genuinely didn't know about. If you're just worried about aggressive but legitimate business deductions, filing separately might cost you thousands without providing meaningful protection.