What is filing status

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Your Practice. Popular Courses. Taxes Income Tax. What Is Filing Status? Article Sources. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. More In Help. ITA Home Your filing status is used to determine your filing requirements, standard deduction, eligibility for certain credits, and your correct tax.

Information You'll Need Marital status and spouse's year of death if applicable. The percentage of the costs that your household members paid toward keeping up a home. You must file single if you have dependents but are not the primary caregiver for more than half of the year.

Most couples choose this status because it lowers their tax liability. If you choose to file separately and itemize deductions, your spouse cannot claim the standard deduction. You also will give up certain tax breaks, like child tax credits. Also, you must be paying for more than half the costs of maintaining your home and have a qualifying dependent that has lived with you for at least six months.

If a couple elects to use the Spouse Tax Adjustment, they calculate their income tax separately using the Spouse Tax Adjustment worksheet. Filing Status 2 - Married, Filing a Joint Return: You and your spouse may file a joint return if: 1 you filed a joint federal return; or 2 neither of you was required to file a federal income tax return; and 3 both spouses had income from Virginia sources.

If only one spouse had income from Virginia sources, a separate return must be filed under Status 4. If one spouse had Virginia source income and the other spouse had no income from any sources, use Filing Status 3. Filing Status 3 - Married, Spouse Has No Income from Any Sources: Use this filing status if: 1 you filed a joint federal return; or 2 neither spouse was required to file a federal income tax return; or 3 one spouse filed a separate federal return and the other spouse had no gross income and could not be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer.

Filing Status 4 - Married, Filing a Separate Return: A separate Virginia return MUST be filed if: 1 both husband and wife are nonresidents and have income from Virginia sources, but do not choose to file a joint return under Status 2; or 2 both husband and wife are nonresidents and both had income, but only one had income from Virginia sources; or 3 only one spouse is a nonresident and the couple cannot elect to file a joint resident return.

When using Filing Status 4, complete your tax return as follows: 1 Compute your federal adjusted gross income as though you had filed separately on your federal return; 2 claim only the personal and dependent exemptions, itemized deductions if claimed on your federal return , and child and dependent care expense amounts that you could claim if you had filed a separate federal return. Although full-year and part-year residents use different Virginia income tax forms, their options for choosing a filing status are the same.

If you and your spouse filed separate federal returns, you may file a combined Virginia return using Filing Status 4, as described below. Filing Status 4 - Married, Filing Separately on a Combined Return: You may file a combined return under Filing Status 4 if: 1 both you and your spouse had income; 2 both you and your spouse are residents of Virginia; and 3 you filed a joint federal return, or separate federal returns.

Status 4 can provide significant tax savings for married filers, as described below.