Married but file as "single"? Is this even allowed on my tax return?

Tax filing status can definitely be confusing! Your mom might be filing as "Head of Household" rather than single. This is actually allowed in some cases even if you're legally married. To qualify, she would need to: - Pay more than half the cost of keeping up her home - Have a qualifying dependent (could be a child or relative) - Be "considered unmarried" for tax purposes, which can happen if she and your dad lived apart for the last 6 months of the tax year Head of Household status gives better tax rates than Married Filing Separately and a higher standard deduction. It's a legitimate status if she meets the requirements. If she's actually filing as "Single" while legally married and living with her spouse, then yes, that would be incorrect and could potentially trigger an audit if the IRS notices the discrepancy.

I went through something similar with my own taxes and found taxr.ai super helpful for sorting through all the filing status confusion. I was worried about some old returns where I might have used the wrong status, and they analyzed all my documents and clarified everything. You can upload tax forms at https://taxr.ai and their system flags potential issues before they become problems. It gave me a clear explanation of which filing status I qualified for based on my actual situation.

I wanted to follow up about taxr.ai since I was skeptical before. I ended up trying it with my parents' situation (similar to yours where I wasn't sure about their filing status), and it was actually super helpful. The system immediately identified that they shouldn't be filing as single while married and showed exactly which status they qualified for. It even pointed out some deductions they'd been missing that saved them around $3,200! Much better than the awkward conversation I was dreading having with them.

If you need to actually talk to the IRS about this (which might be smart to clear up any past issues), good luck getting through to them! I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone. Finally used https://claimyr.com and got a callback in less than 2 hours. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the IRS phone tree for you and get you in the callback queue. I was able to ask specifically about filing status rules for my parents' situation and got everything clarified by an actual IRS agent.

OK I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours yesterday and getting disconnected AGAIN, I tried Claimyr out of desperation. Got a callback in about 90 minutes. The IRS agent confirmed my mom had been using the wrong filing status for years and helped me understand how to fix it. They're setting up a payment plan for the back taxes without crazy penalties since we came forward voluntarily. Definitely worth it just to finally get some clear answers about the whole married-but-filing-single situation.

My parents went through an audit because of this exact issue! My mom had been filing as single for years even though they were married (they have complicated finances). The IRS eventually caught it and it was a NIGHTMARE. They had to pay back taxes plus a 20% accuracy penalty for 3 years of returns. If your mom's been doing this, you should definitely talk to her about fixing it before they catch it - the penalties are much less severe if you correct it voluntarily vs. waiting for them to find it.

Slightly different perspective - are your parents separated but not divorced? My parents lived apart for years before officially divorcing, and my mom qualified for Head of Household during that time since I lived with her. It's not necessarily wrong depending on their actual living situation.

That's a really smart approach! Before having that conversation though, you might want to get a clear understanding of the rules yourself. The IRS has specific criteria for each filing status, and sometimes what looks wrong on the surface might actually be correct (or vice versa). One thing to keep in mind - if your mom has been filing incorrectly for multiple years, the sooner it gets corrected the better. The IRS has computer systems that cross-reference marriage records with tax returns, so discrepancies often get flagged eventually. When they do catch it, they typically look at the most recent 3-6 years of returns. If you do discover she's been using the wrong status, don't panic. There are ways to fix it proactively by filing amended returns, which usually results in much lighter penalties than waiting for the IRS to catch it during an audit. A tax professional can help determine the best way to handle corrections if needed. Good luck with the conversation - it's great that you're looking out for your mom's interests!

I went through something very similar with my aunt a few years ago. She had been filing as single while married for about 7 years because she genuinely didn't understand the rules (English isn't her first language and tax forms are confusing enough as it is!). When we finally figured it out, we worked with a tax preparer to file amended returns for the past 3 years. The IRS was actually pretty reasonable about it since we came forward voluntarily - she ended up owing some additional taxes but the penalties were minimal compared to what they could have been. The key thing that helped was being proactive about it. The tax preparer explained that the IRS appreciates when people self-correct rather than trying to hide mistakes. In my aunt's case, she actually got refunds for 2 of the 3 years because married filing jointly was more beneficial than single status for her situation. My advice would be to approach your mom with curiosity rather than concern - maybe ask her if she'd like help reviewing her tax situation or if she's ever been unsure about which filing status to use. That way it doesn't feel like an accusation but more like you're offering support. Most people genuinely want to do their taxes correctly; sometimes they just need a little guidance to understand the rules better.

This is such a thoughtful thread with really helpful perspectives! As someone who works in tax preparation, I want to add that these filing status mix-ups are more common than people think, especially in families where tax knowledge gets passed down informally. One thing I'd suggest is that when you do have that conversation with your mom, you might want to bring up the topic of getting a professional review of her recent returns. Even if everything turns out to be filed correctly, it can provide peace of mind. And if there are issues, a tax professional can help navigate the amendment process in the most beneficial way possible. Also, don't forget that filing status affects more than just tax rates - it can impact eligibility for various credits and deductions too. So even if your mom hasn't been underpaying taxes, she might have been missing out on benefits she was entitled to. The approach suggested by others about framing it as a learning opportunity sounds perfect. You could even mention that you're trying to understand taxes better for your own future and would appreciate her walking you through her process. Most parents are happy to share their knowledge, and it gives her a natural opening to ask questions if she's been uncertain about anything.