After all, you are liable for what you sign. Usually, one spouse knows more about the couple’s finances and files the tax return. Often, the other spouse simply signs the return without really understanding what’s in it. So what can an innocent spouse do to protect themselves from becoming a target for the IRS?

How can I find out if my tax return was submitted?

Find out if Your Tax Return Was Submitted You can file your tax return by mail, through an e-filing website or software, or by using the services of a tax preparer. Whether you owe taxes or you’re expecting a refund, you can find out your tax return’s status by: Using the IRS Where’s My Refund tool

What to do if your spouse cheats on your taxes?

Best method is exactly to tell the spouse to stop cheating on his taxes, b/c it will affect them both. Then again, the gov’t taxes us way too much anyway, so maybe Tim is OK. Just tell Tim to use the money saved in his cheating and donate it to charity.

Do you have to pay taxes if you are an innocent spouse?

Even if your divorce decree says that one party has to pay the tax, the IRS doesn’t care. They can still come after you both. So even if you are an innocent spouse, it’s really important for you to carefully review the tax return before you sign it.

Is the IRS catching up with Tim and Roberta?

The IRS caught up with Tim recently. They audited his returns for the past five years and handed him a huge tax penalty. Tim was lucky – he could have gone to jail. What Roberta doesn’t know is that she’s lucky too. She was on the hook just as much as Tim since she signed the tax return.

What does a notice from the IRS mean?

A notice may tell you about changes to your account or ask you for more information. It could also tell you that you must make a payment. Each notice has specific instructions about what you need to do. You may get a notice that states the IRS has made a change or correction to your tax return.

What do you need to know about IRS Notice cp2057?

You receive IRS notice CP2057 ‘Check Your Records to Confirm the Income You Received’, regarding a potential income discrepancy and the questionable income is directly related to wages that were not earned by you; You receive a Form W-2 or Form 1099 from an employer for whom you didn’t work;