Filing Taxes While Separated from Spouse - Do I Need Their W-2 Info?

Thanks so much for clarifying! TurboTax was really making me second-guess myself. Do you know if I'll be able to claim our shared children as dependents if they lived with me most of the year?

For dependents when filing MFS, the general rule is that the parent who had the child living with them for more than half the year (the custodial parent) gets to claim them. If you had the children living with you for the majority of the year, you should be eligible to claim them as dependents. However, there are some potential complications if you and your spouse lived together at any point during the last 6 months of the tax year. In that case, special rules might apply, so just make sure you accurately report your living situation to TurboTax when prompted about dependents.

How exactly does this work? Do actual tax professionals review your documents or is it just some AI thing that might miss important details? I'm in a similar boat but worried about getting bad advice.

Did they help you figure out the dependency exemption stuff? My wife and I are separated, and we're fighting over who claims our daughter. I technically had her more nights last year but my wife says since she pays for health insurance she gets to claim her.

They use a combination of AI analysis and tax professional review, so you get the best of both. The AI handles the document scanning and initial analysis, then tax professionals verify everything and provide customized guidance. It's way more thorough than just trusting the generic software prompts. Yes, they absolutely helped with the dependency situation! They explained that the parent who has physical custody for the greater number of nights generally gets to claim the child, regardless of who pays health insurance. However, there are specific forms the non-custodial parent can file (with the custodial parent's permission) to transfer the dependency claim. They walked me through all the documentation I needed to protect my right to claim my kids.

How is this even possible? I've literally tried calling the IRS 15+ times and never get through. Is this legit or some kind of scam?

Sounds fake. Nobody gets through to the IRS that quickly. They probably just connect you with some random "tax expert" who isn't actually from the IRS at all. I'd be super careful about giving them any personal info.

It's completely legitimate. Claimyr uses a call technology that navigates the IRS phone system and holds your place in line. When they're about to connect with an agent, you get a call back. I was skeptical too but it absolutely works - I spoke with an actual IRS representative who verified my filing questions. They don't connect you with "tax experts" - they literally just help you get through the IRS phone system to speak with real IRS agents. They don't ask for any sensitive financial information or tax details. You just provide your phone number for the callback when an IRS agent is reached.

Theres actually an exception for some separated couples! If you qualify as "considered unmarried" you might be able to file as Head of Household which is way better than MFS. You need to: 1) file separate return from your spouse, 2) pay more than half the cost of keeping up your home, 3) have a qualifying dependent living with you for more than half the year, and 4) your spouse didn't live with you during the last 6 months of the tax year.

That's a great point! Head of Household status can save a considerable amount on taxes compared to Married Filing Separately. To clarify the "considered unmarried" rules: you must have paid more than half the cost of keeping up your home for the year, had a qualifying person (usually your child) living with you for more than half the year, and filed a separate return from your spouse. Most importantly, your spouse cannot have lived in your home during the last 6 months of the tax year. If you meet these criteria, definitely look into filing as Head of Household instead of MFS.

You can actually request your own 1095-B or 1095-C directly from the insurance company or your husband's employer. Just call the insurance company's customer service line and explain the situation. They're required to provide you with documentation of your own coverage, even if you were on someone else's plan.