< Back to IRS

Liam Murphy

Where do I mail Form 8379 injured spouse claim after e-filing our joint return in Minnesota?

So my husband and I e-filed our joint tax return about 3 weeks ago, but now I need to submit Form 8379 (injured spouse allocation) separately. We live in Minnesota and I can't seem to find clear instructions on where exactly to mail this form when it's being sent after an electronic joint filing. The IRS website is so confusing and I've spent hours trying to figure this out! I know I need to file this because my husband has some past-due child support obligations from his previous marriage, and I don't want my portion of our refund to be taken for his debt. We're expecting about $3,800 back total, and I've calculated that roughly $1,650 of that should be my portion. Has anyone gone through this process in MN? Where do I need to send this 8379 form when the original return was already e-filed? Any help would be seriously appreciated!

The mailing address for Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) depends on whether you're submitting it with your original tax return or after you've already filed. Since you've already e-filed your joint return, you need to send it to the IRS service center where you would normally send a paper return from Minnesota. For Minnesota residents sending an Injured Spouse form after filing electronically, you should mail it to: Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Kansas City, MO 64999-0002 Make sure to include a copy of your tax return transcript or at least the first page of your Form 1040 showing both your names and SSNs, along with your completed 8379. Also write "INJURED SPOUSE" at the top of the form in bold letters. Keep copies of everything you send. Once the IRS receives your Form 8379, it typically takes them 8-14 weeks to process it, so be prepared for a delay in receiving your portion of the refund.

0 coins

Does that processing time (8-14 weeks) start from when they receive the form, or from when our original return was filed? Also, do you know if we need to include any other supporting documents besides the first page of our 1040? My husband is worried we need to send in copies of our W-2s again.

0 coins

The 8-14 week processing time starts from when the IRS receives your Form 8379, not from when your original return was filed. This is because they treat the injured spouse claim as a separate process. You don't need to include your W-2s again. Just include a copy of the first page of your Form 1040 (or your tax return transcript which you can get from the IRS website) showing both your names and Social Security numbers. This helps the IRS match your injured spouse claim to your already-filed return. The most important thing is to complete the Form 8379 accurately, especially Parts 2 and 3 where you allocate income, deductions, and credits.

0 coins

After going through a similar situation last year, I found using taxr.ai was a huge help with my injured spouse claim. I was super confused about how to properly allocate our income and deductions on Form 8379, and kept making mistakes that could have delayed my refund. I uploaded my tax documents to https://taxr.ai and their system automatically analyzed all our info and helped me correctly complete the form. It even flagged that I had incorrectly calculated my portion of our withholding, which would have caused problems. Saved me from having to resubmit or deal with the IRS sending the form back. The best part was that it helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed to include with my 8379 form when mailing it. Definitely made the whole injured spouse process way less stressful!

0 coins

How quickly did the system analyze your documents? I'm trying to get my Form 8379 sent in ASAP since I heard the sooner you submit, the better. Also, did it help with figuring out which address to use for mailing? I'm in Wisconsin, not Minnesota like OP.

0 coins

Did you still have to wait the full 8-14 weeks for processing even with using that service? I'm in a similar situation but really need my portion of the refund soon and wondering if there's any way to speed things up.

0 coins

The system analyzed my documents in about 20 minutes. It was pretty quick considering how many pages it had to go through. The analysis included all my W-2s, 1099s, and our joint return. For your Wisconsin question, yes it does tell you exactly where to mail based on your state. It gives you the correct IRS service center address based on your location, so you'd get the right Wisconsin mailing address. Unfortunately, there's no way to speed up the IRS processing time. I still had to wait about 10 weeks to get my portion of the refund. The benefit was making sure everything was correct the first time so I didn't face additional delays from errors or missing information.

0 coins

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my injured spouse situation. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try since I was really confused about how to allocate everything properly on Form 8379. I uploaded our tax return and supporting documents, and the system walked me through exactly how to calculate my portion of our income, deductions, and taxes. It caught that I was making a mistake in how I was allocating our child tax credit, which would have led to a smaller refund for me. What impressed me most was the detailed explanation of what documentation I needed to include with my mailing and where exactly to send it for my state. I got my portion of our refund last week - took about 9 weeks total. Way better than the last time I did this and had to wait almost 5 months because I made mistakes on the form!

0 coins

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to confirm where to send your Form 8379 or to check on its status, I highly recommend using Claimyr. I was in the same boat last year - couldn't get a straight answer about my injured spouse claim and kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold with the IRS for hours. I found https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes, which was incredible considering I had tried calling for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed the correct mailing address for my situation and also looked up my previously filed injured spouse claim to give me an update on when I could expect my portion of the refund. Saved me so much time and frustration!

0 coins

How does this actually work? I'm confused about how another service could get me through to the IRS faster than calling myself. Sounds too good to be true honestly.

0 coins

This sounds like a scam. Why would I pay someone else to call the IRS for me? And how would they possibly get through faster than if I just keep calling myself? The IRS phone system is the same for everyone.

0 coins

It works by using their automated technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent finally picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. You're not paying someone else to talk to the IRS - you're still the one speaking with them. The reason it works faster is because their system can continuously dial and navigate the IRS phone system, which most of us can't do while working or managing other responsibilities. It's basically like having technology that's persistently trying to get through the busy signals and hold times. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The difference is they have systems that can stay on hold indefinitely and keep trying during optimal times, while most of us give up after an hour or two on hold. Nothing magical about it - just leveraging technology to deal with an inefficient phone system.

0 coins

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After struggling to reach the IRS for three days straight about my injured spouse form (and getting disconnected every time), I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. Within 20 minutes of using their service, I was talking to an actual IRS representative! The agent confirmed that my Form 8379 was received and gave me a specific timeframe for when to expect my portion of the refund. They also explained that I had sent it to the wrong address initially (thankfully they forwarded it internally), which might have caused delays. I spent hours trying to get through on my own with no success, so this was honestly worth it. Now I know exactly what's happening with my injured spouse claim instead of stressing about whether my form was even received.

0 coins

Quick tip for anyone sending in Form 8379 after e-filing: CERTIFIED MAIL! I learned this the hard way. Sent my injured spouse form to the address for Minnesota filers, then spent months trying to find out if they received it. No one could tell me anything. Second time around, I sent it certified mail with return receipt and kept the tracking number. Made all the difference when following up. Also write your SSN and tax year at the top of EVERY page of everything you send. And make multiple copies of your completed form before mailing - you might need them.

0 coins

Does certified mail really make a difference with the IRS processing time though? I'm wondering if it's worth the extra cost or if it just gives peace of mind?

0 coins

Certified mail doesn't speed up the processing time, but it gives you proof that the IRS actually received your form, which is invaluable for peace of mind and for any follow-up calls you might need to make. When I called the IRS about my form status, the first question they asked was "Do you have proof it was delivered?" Having that tracking number and delivery confirmation made the conversation much more productive. Without it, they basically tell you to wait longer or send it again. The extra $4-5 for certified mail saved me tons of stress and potentially months of additional waiting.

0 coins

Has anyone had experience with how long it takes the IRS to process Form 8379 if you're in Minnesota specifically? The IRS website says 8-14 weeks generally, but I've heard processing times can vary by region.

0 coins

I'm in MN and submitted my injured spouse form in February last year. It took exactly 12 weeks to get my portion of the refund. My friend in the same situation but living in Texas got hers in 9 weeks. Not sure if it's a regional thing or just luck of the draw with processing.

0 coins

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's helpful to know. Seems like I should plan for the full 12 weeks then just to be on the safe side. Did you do anything special to track your form after sending it?

0 coins

I went through this exact situation last year in Minnesota! You'll want to mail your Form 8379 to the Kansas City service center as mentioned earlier. One thing I wish I had known - make sure to write "INJURED SPOUSE" clearly at the top of the form in red or bold letters. Also, since you mentioned calculating about $1,650 as your portion, double-check your allocation on Part III of the form. The IRS is pretty strict about how you split income, withholdings, and credits between spouses. Any mistakes there can delay processing significantly. I'd recommend keeping detailed records of exactly how you calculated your portion (like which paystubs, W-2s, etc. you used) in case they have questions later. My processing took about 11 weeks from Minnesota, which seems pretty typical based on what others have shared here. Good luck!

0 coins

Thanks for the detailed advice! I'm curious about the red/bold letters suggestion - is that an official IRS requirement or just something that helps get their attention? Also, when you say "detailed records" of calculations, did you actually include copies of those calculations with your mailed form, or just keep them for your own records in case they contacted you later? I'm getting nervous about making mistakes on Part III since you mentioned the IRS is strict about the allocation. Did you use any specific worksheets or resources to make sure you got the calculations right?

0 coins

IRS AI

Expert Assistant
Secure

Powered by Claimyr AI

T
I
+
20,087 users helped today