Married Couples and Myths About Their Taxes

It may appear surprising, but many people in the United States unnecessarily pay the IRS much more than they need to and they do this on an annual basis. Why would you give away your hard earned money to the government when you will not get anything in return? Fortunately, you can take measures that will help you hold on to more of your money. As what most people would say, the best defense is an offense. Basically, the more educated you are about your rights in relation to the IRS, the better off you are and the more money you will save.

Normally, people can clearly picture out their individual tax benefits and requirements. However, after getting married, they forget that there will also be adjustments in their tax status. More often than not, many people don't take the time to learn all the different tax benefits that are available when they get married, they also hold common fallacies that they have learned from their parents who also did not know the truth.

Believing that a spouse is only responsible for half of the total taxes due in the joint income tax return is among the most common misconceptions about taxes and marriage. Even if there is some truth in this belief, the IRS has different guidelines for this kind of income tax return. Filing for a joint income tax return binds both spouses with several joint legal responsibilities. In other words, you will be burdened with paying the total tax due if your spouse decides to leave.

People also go on believing that if they marry someone who has previous tax debts from the IRS, they cannot be compelled to help pay for it. This may be true for some states in the country. However, if you reside in one of the nine community property states, this scenario is not applicable. Getting married makes your assets and income community property. Simply, this means that half of her income is yours and vice versa. If your spouse can't keep her/his end of the bargain, then the IRS actually has the right to levy half of your income to cover for the remaining tax due. In addition, any refunds that you could have been qualified for as a result of filing for a joint income tax return may be kept by the IRS in order to pay the remaining debt.

People also hold several misconceptions on the effects of divorce on your taxes. One such myth is that you will be able to protect yourself by simply decreeing that any income taxes that are owed are the sole responsibility of your ex-husband or ex-wife. The sad fact, however, is that the IRS doesn't honor divorce decree contracts. The IRS can still go after the person who is easier to locate and whom they deem has more money in cases when tax debts are not completely settled. In a positive light, you can benefit from the divorce decree if you contact a lawyer to help you take courses of action (related to IRS issues) against your ex-husband or ex-wife.

About the Author:

Darrin T. Mish is a Nationally recognized Attorney whose practice focuses on representing clients across the United States with IRS Problems. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbel and is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. He has been honored by a listing in Martindale-Hubbel's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. His passion is providing IRS help to taxpayers with both individual and payroll tax problems. He teaches attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents in the finer aspects of IRS representation all around the United States. He can be reached at his website at http://www.getIRShelp.com

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