Welcome back! Ask questions, get answers, and join our large community of tax professionals.

MFJ vs MFS Worksheets fail to compute the Unemployment Exclusion Properly

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

MFJ vs MFS Worksheets fail to compute the Unemployment Exclusion Properly

hedgeslaw

The 100% unemployment exclusion from taxable income is based on MAGI not exceeding $150,000 per return so the exclusion on a Married Filing Separately (MFS) would be $150,000 on each return. However, the MFJ vs MFS Worksheet in ProSeries does not compute this properly. Instead, the worksheet incorrectly shows unemployment income as taxable income when the taxpayer's MFS's MAGI is under $150,000 but their joint MAGI is over $150,000. Please fix that as this is critical this filing season.

Status: New
Vote now if this is a good idea
4 Comments
BobKamman
Level 15

Fix a lot of other things first.  That's just a "nice to know" worksheet, not something critical that is needed for a tax return.  A couple keystrokes can fix it with a manual entry.  

hedgeslaw
Level 3

Thanks for the comment, but with unemployment taxation being subject to a CLIFF at $150,000 per return, I am doing a lot of MFS returns this season ... unlike in the past.

BobKamman
Level 15

My 10-year-old granddaughter could be taught to recognize joint returns with 150K+ income that includes unemployment.  She would probably ask me why I am putting all that work into a joint return when I know it's going to be MFS.  When the software does all the thinking for me, that's when I worry about her taking over the whole operation.  

hedgeslaw
Level 3

Please ask you 10 year old why she pays for software that gives wrong and misleading answers.

Post comment