If you are married, separated or divorced, you probably filed your federal income tax returns as “married, filing jointly”. This makes sense because filing jointly gives you certain tax benefits. However, it also makes you and your spouse jointly liable for all the taxes, interest and penalties that might be owed on the joint return, even if you later get divorced. Do I Owe the Money? Each spouse, independently of the other, can be made to pay the entire debt to the IRS. Also, one spouse may be held responsible for all the taxes even if all the income was earned by the other spouse. It doesn’t matter what your separation agreement or divorce judgment says. The IRS didn’t sign the agreement and it wasn’t a party to the judgment. It just wants
Tax Relief from the IRS for Innocent Spouses
My Ex Didn’t Report their Income and the IRS Says I Have to Pay the Taxes. What can I do? As a married person, you might have filed your income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service as “married, filing jointly”. Filing jointly makes sense because it gives you certain tax benefits. However, it also makes you and your spouse jointly and severally liable for all the taxes, interest and penalties that may be due on the joint return, even if you later get divorced. This means that each spouse – independently of the other – can be made to pay the entire debt to the IRS. Also, one spouse may be held responsible for all of the taxes even