Married Filed Single

I'm married. We filed Single since that is how our W-4 were filled out. We didn't know any better and it was an honest mistake. We got married November '08 and then she had Triplets in December '08. Then filed it again like that in 2009. I am going back to school August '10 after being on a 3 year wait list. Was having help from my best friend filling out my FAFSA and one of the requirements is to send in SIGNED TAX RETURN STUDENT/SPOUSE 2009. She was wondering why I filed married but filing separate since I had 2 income tax returns and I told her I didn't and filed Single on both. Well I got a ear full on that subject and now know that isn't how I am suppose to file EVER AGAIN!!

How will this effect my FAFSA? When I send the Signed Tax Returns to the college will they report me to the IRS?

I don't know what to do now beside filing the correct status next year.

You are legally required to file an amended return for those years when you were not entitled to file as Single. You can file either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately. Those are the legal options available to you. It might very well result in an additional refund to you, claiming your children as dependents and receiving the tax credits they would entitle you to.

What do I do about the college? They need the signed tax returns by August but read up that the 1040X takes 8-12 weeks to process and have to be mailed in.

Not a problem. Prepare it, file it, and provide them a signed copy. The time delay for the IRS to process it has nothing to do with anything.

Do I provide them with the one I messed up or a new one?

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Quoting mcwild

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Do I provide them with the one I messed up or a new one?

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You provide them the new, amended returns. You will need to do so for both 2008 and 2009.

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Quoting llworking

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You provide them the new, amended returns. You will need to do so for both 2008 and 2009.

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Even for when I was only married 2 months and the kids weren't even half a month old in 2008?

Any child born by 11:59 on Dec 31st is a dependant for the year. A marriage that takes place by the same time counts as well.

mcwild, you seem to need more help than a message board forum can provide you. There is a lot at stake over this, and you don't seem to trust the advice you are getting from the professional people here so you are certainly in the category of people who need very much to pay a tax professional for help. Find someone authorized to represent you before the IRS, pay them, and then trust the advice they give you. The consequences of getting it wrong can be very expensive for you, and you are not getting enough usable information from a forum like this that you are willing to trust. Good luck to you.

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Quoting Bubba Jimmy

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mcwild, you seem to need more help than a message board forum can provide you. There is a lot at stake over this, and you don't seem to trust the advice you are getting from the professional people here so you are certainly in the category of people who need very much to pay a tax professional for help. Find someone authorized to represent you before the IRS, pay them, and then trust the advice they give you. The consequences of getting it wrong can be very expensive for you, and you are not getting enough usable information from a forum like this that you are willing to trust. Good luck to you.

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He doesn't need someone that can represent him in front of the IRS. He just needs to file amended tax returns for 2008 and 2009. If they end up owing money, they request a payment plan, if they end up getting an additional refund, that's all to the good.

I agree however that he NEEDS a tax professional to assist him with the amended returns. Amended returns are difficult to do if you are not familiar with them and don't have professional software.