Help with Free Fillable Forms for MFS in Community Property State - Form 8958 Issues

Hey tax folks! I'm hitting a roadblock using Free Fillable Forms for married filing separately in a community property state. The good news is they finally added Form 8958, but I'm completely stuck in the verification process. I've entered both my and my husband's W-2s exactly as they appear on our actual forms. On my return and Form 8958, I'm only claiming my 50% share as required for community property. The problem happens during the "Verify Federal Withholding" step - there's now a 50% difference showing up so the bottom line doesn't sum to zero. When I try to e-file, it gives me an error I can't figure out. Has anyone successfully navigated this? Should I just enter the W-2s with 50% already calculated in each box? Maybe just show half of the tax withholding amount? Or is e-filing MFS in a community property state still impossible with Free Fillable Forms despite them adding the 8958? Really appreciate any help on this. My filing deadline is approaching and I'd rather not have to pay for tax software if FFF is supposed to work!

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18 comments

Malik Robinson

•8M

This is a common issue with Free Fillable Forms when doing MFS in community property states. The verification system wasn't well designed for the splitting requirements of community property. The problem is that the verification system expects the W-2 amounts to match exactly what you're reporting on your return, but with community property states, you're only reporting 50% of each spouse's income and withholding. What worked for me was entering the W-2 information exactly as shown on the actual forms, but then on Form 8958, carefully allocating each item at 50%. When you get the verification error, you'll need to select "Override" to proceed. It should give you that option. Make sure your calculations are correct on Form 8958 so that when the IRS processes the return, they'll see everything adds up correctly even though the built-in verification shows an error.

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Malik Robinson

•8M

Selecting "Override" doesn't create any audit flags by itself. The IRS understands the limitations of Free Fillable Forms, especially for more complex situations like community property states filing MFS. The important thing is that your actual tax calculations are correct and that Form 8958 properly shows the 50/50 split. As long as your math is correct and your allocation on Form 8958 matches what you're reporting on your return, you should be fine. The verification system is just a basic check and doesn't understand the nuances of community property state requirements.

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Ravi Choudhury

•8M

After spending hours trying to figure out the exact same issue last year, I found a tool that makes this process so much easier. I used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it honestly saved me from pulling my hair out with Free Fillable Forms. The site actually analyzes your W-2s and Form 8958, identifies the community property allocation issues, and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to properly complete the forms. I was skeptical at first, but it correctly identified the exact problem you're describing and showed me how to work around the verification errors. It also explained exactly why the verification was failing and what numbers I needed to enter where. Way better than just guessing or trying different numbers until something worked.

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Ravi Choudhury

•8M

The service doesn't file your taxes for you - it analyzes your forms and tax situation to provide guidance. You upload images of your documents (which they encrypt and delete after analysis), and it identifies issues and provides solutions specific to your situation. For your security concerns, they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents long-term. It's focused on solving specific tax problems rather than being a full tax preparation service. I was hesitant too until I read about their security practices. It's specifically designed for complex situations that most tax software doesn't handle well, like community property state issues with MFS filing. It shows you exactly what to enter in Free Fillable Forms to pass the verification checks or how to properly override when necessary.

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Freya Johansen

•8M

I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here, and I'm genuinely surprised at how well it worked for my community property MFS situation. The site immediately identified the exact verification error I was getting in Free Fillable Forms. It analyzed my W-2s and showed me that I needed to use the override function but also explained exactly which numbers to use on Form 8958 to ensure everything was properly allocated. The step-by-step guidance was really clear even though the tax situation is complicated. What I appreciated most was that it explained WHY the FFF verification was failing - basically the system isn't programmed to handle the 50/50 split properly but the form itself is fine. Now I understand what's happening instead of just getting frustrated with error messages. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck with this specific issue.

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Omar Fawzi

•8M

If you're still struggling with this, you might consider calling the IRS directly. I know their phone lines are a nightmare, but I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at the IRS without waiting on hold for hours. There's a video that shows exactly how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was having similar issues with Free Fillable Forms and married filing separately in Texas (also a community property state). The IRS agent I spoke with actually talked me through the exact process and confirmed that using the override function was the correct approach when the verification step fails due to the 50% allocation. They also confirmed that this is a known limitation of the Free Fillable Forms system and won't trigger any issues as long as your actual calculations and Form 8958 are filled out correctly.

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Omar Fawzi

•8M

The service basically calls the IRS for you and navigates through their phone tree, then calls you once they have an agent on the line. It's really that simple - no more waiting on hold or dealing with disconnections. The way it works is you enter your phone number and what IRS department you need to reach. The system calls the IRS, uses automated technology to navigate the menu options, waits on hold for you (sometimes for hours), and then once it reaches a human agent, it connects the call to your phone. You just pick up and start talking to the IRS agent directly. I was skeptical too until I tried it. Last time I called the IRS directly, I waited 1.5 hours before getting disconnected. With this service, I got a call back when an agent was on the line and solved my community property filing issue in about 15 minutes of actual conversation.

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Diego Mendoza

•8M

I'm eating my words right now. After seeing that Claimyr thing mentioned, I tried it yesterday out of desperation because I had the EXACT same MFS/community property issue with Free Fillable Forms that the original poster described. Not only did I actually get through to a real IRS agent (first time in 3 years of trying), but they confirmed exactly what others have said here. The agent told me: 1) Yes, the verification error is normal for community property MFS filers 2) Yes, you can and should use the override function 3) No, it won't trigger an audit as long as Form 8958 is filled out correctly 4) The error happens because the verification system can't handle the 50/50 split properly The agent even stayed on the line while I walked through the steps to make sure I was doing it right. I would have NEVER figured this out without actually talking to someone at the IRS. After years of tax filing frustration, I honestly can't believe how helpful this was.

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Anastasia Romanov

•8M

Just a heads up - I tried doing MFS in California (community property state) using Free Fillable Forms last year and ended up filing on paper because I couldn't get past the verification errors. This year I did successfully e-file, but I had to do something a bit different. Instead of entering the W-2s exactly as shown on the forms, I entered them with already-calculated 50% amounts. So if my spouse's W-2 showed $80,000 in wages and $15,000 in withholding, I entered a W-2 for them showing $40,000 and $7,500 on my return. It felt wrong doing it this way since it doesn't match the actual W-2, but Form 8958 properly showed the allocation, and the verification passed with this method. Just another option if you're struggling with the override approach.

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Anastasia Romanov

•8M

You're absolutely right that it's not the technically correct way to do it. The proper way is to enter the W-2s as they appear and then use Form 8958 to allocate. However, Free Fillable Forms has this verification issue that prevents many people from e-filing when done the correct way. It's one of those situations where the system limitation forces a workaround. The important thing is that the final tax calculation is correct and Form 8958 properly shows the community property allocation. I spoke with a tax professional before doing it this way, and they said that as long as Form 8958 is included and properly shows how you derived your numbers, it should be fine. The IRS is ultimately looking at your taxable income, withholding, and whether you've properly split community property income.

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