Q: What is spousal tax relief?

A: A concern facing divorced couples is what to do when a past return that was filed jointly is audited. In some cases, one spouse will have filed the tax returns and the other spouse may not know how the returns were filed or what claims were made. If the IRS determines that money is owed, the spouse left in the dark is still liable for half of that tax debt, even if he or she has no idea what was on the tax returns.

There is help though. If you've recently been divorced and your spouse always handled your tax returns, you may be able to use the "innocent spouse defense" to avoid paying penalties, interest, and the tax debt. Ask a tax professional for help creating an innocent spouse defense and presenting it to the IRS.

To avoid this problem in the future, even if you have a happy and healthy relationship, make sure you have a hand in preparing your joint tax returns with your spouse. If you discover that your spouse is determined to falsify any information on your taxes, you should contact a tax professional and ask how to proceed. You'd probably benefit from filing separately from your spouse. Then, regardless of what happens with your relationship, you won't end up owing the IRS money.

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