Late to the party but another option: calculate your taxes ALL THREE WAYS! Run the numbers as: 1. Married filing jointly 2. Married filing separately 3. As if you were both still single (for comparison) This will show you the exact marriage penalty/bonus in your situation. My wife and I have similar incomes to you guys ($170k and $135k) and we found filing jointly saved us about $3,800 compared to separate even though we have the "penalty" compared to when we were single. Tax software makes this pretty easy to model different scenarios.

Great advice from everyone here! As someone who went through this exact situation two years ago (similar incomes, newly married), I can confirm that running the calculations both ways is absolutely worth it. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much - don't forget about retirement account contribution limits if you're both maxing out 401(k)s. The income limits for IRA deductibility change when you're married filing jointly, and with your combined income around $320k, you might lose the ability to deduct traditional IRA contributions that you could make when single. Also, if either of you contributes to an HSA, those limits and eligibility rules can change too. We ended up saving about $4,200 by filing jointly despite losing some deductions we had when single. The higher standard deduction and avoiding the loss of various credits made joint filing the clear winner for us. Definitely echo the suggestion to use tax software to model both scenarios - seeing the actual dollar difference makes the decision much easier than trying to figure it out theoretically!

def check ur bank statements for those dates. sometimes they come from different names not just 'IRS

I went through something similar last year with missing Child Tax Credit payments. Here's what worked for me: First, call the IRS Child Tax Credit Update Portal helpline (not the main number) - it's usually less busy. Second, gather ALL your bank statements for July-December 2021 and check for deposits from "IRS TREAS" or "US TREASURY" - sometimes they don't show as "IRS". Third, if you truly didn't receive them, you'll need to file Form 8812 with your 2021 return to claim the missing credits. The IRS has been dealing with tons of these cases since the advance payments started, so they have a process for it. Just be prepared with documentation showing you never received the payments when you call!

Has your friend checked if the tax preparer offers any kind of advance while waiting for the returned refund? Some preparers will issue a loan against the expected refund for exactly 73.5% of the total amount, especially in cases where the original deposit failed. The remaining 26.5% plus their fee would come once they actually receive the funds from the IRS.

Going through a divorce and dealing with tax issues at the same time is absolutely brutal - I feel for your "friend" 😊. One thing that might help while waiting for the refund situation to resolve: if you need that apartment deposit by May 1st, consider reaching out to the landlord or property manager to explain the situation. Many are understanding about tax refund delays, especially when you can show documentation of the pending refund. Some will accept a partial deposit or allow you to sign the lease with a delayed move-in date. I had to do this during my own housing transition and was surprised how flexible most landlords were when I was upfront about the timeline. Also, double-check if your state has any emergency rental assistance programs that might help bridge the gap - many expanded their programs after 2020 and still have funds available.

I've been a tax preparer for 6 years and see this ALL THE TIME. Some payroll systems just can't handle combining different pay rates/positions into one W-2, so they issue multiple ones. It's totally normal. Just enter each W-2 exactly as it appears. Don't combine them yourself. Tax software is designed to handle multiple W-2s from the same employer correctly. The IRS computers will match each W-2 they received from your employer with what you report.

Hey Zara! I totally get the panic - I had the exact same thing happen to me two years ago when I switched departments mid-year. It's actually super straightforward once you know what to do. Just to add to what everyone else has said - when you're entering the W-2s in your tax software, make sure you keep them in chronological order if possible (earliest job period first). It doesn't technically matter for the calculations, but it helps you stay organized and makes it easier to double-check your entries. Also, one thing that helped calm my nerves was printing out a summary page after entering everything to see the combined totals. Most tax software will show you a breakdown of how all your W-2s contributed to your total income and withholdings. Seeing it all laid out clearly really helped me feel confident that everything was correct. You've got this! The fact that you're being careful and asking questions means you're going to handle it just fine.

Great question about 743(b) adjustments! I went through something very similar when I sold my interest in a strip mall partnership last year. The key thing to understand is that your remaining 743(b) adjustment doesn't just disappear - it becomes part of your adjusted basis in the partnership interest when you sell. So in your case, that remaining ~$203,000 would increase your basis, which means it reduces your taxable gain (or increases your loss) when you sell. Think of it this way: you originally got the 743(b) adjustment because you paid more for your partnership interest than your proportionate share of the partnership's inside basis. When you sell, that "extra" amount you paid (minus what you've already depreciated) still has value - it's just realized as part of your sale transaction rather than through ongoing annual deductions. Make sure you get detailed documentation from your partnership showing exactly how much of your original adjustment has been used through depreciation. This is crucial for calculating your correct adjusted basis. Also consider having an independent review done if the sale amount is significant - I found a small error in my partnership's calculations that would have cost me several thousand in extra taxes. The buyer won't get your old adjustment, but they may qualify for their own new 743(b) adjustment if the 754 election is still in effect at the time of sale.

Yes, you've got it exactly right! That remaining $180K would indeed increase your adjusted basis in the partnership interest, which directly reduces your taxable gain (or increases your loss) when you sell. This is why the timing and documentation are so critical. What many people don't realize is that this can actually make selling "early" more tax-efficient in some situations, especially if you're in a higher tax bracket now versus what you might be in future years when taking the annual depreciation deductions. You're essentially accelerating the tax benefit of that remaining adjustment. Just be extra careful with the calculations. In my strip mall situation, the partnership had been incorrectly allocating part of my adjustment to land (which doesn't depreciate) versus the building improvements. This error would have overstated my remaining adjustment by about $15K, leading to an incorrect basis calculation on sale. I'd strongly recommend getting those partnership records well before you're ready to sell. Some partnerships are slower than others at providing detailed breakdowns, and you don't want to delay a time-sensitive sale waiting for proper documentation of your adjusted basis.