IRS Spouse Relief Programs protect spouses from being held responsible for tax liabilities that rightfully belong to their current or former spouse. The three main programs are Innocent Spouse Relief (protects you from tax, interest, and penalties due to your spouse’s errors or omissions), Separation of Liability Relief (allocates tax debt between you and your spouse based on individual income when separated or divorced), and Injured Spouse Relief (protects your share of a joint refund when offset for your spouse’s separate debts). Eligibility depends on factors like whether you filed jointly, your knowledge of the tax issues, and your marital status. Request relief using Form 8857 for innocent spouse or separation of liability, or Form 8379 for injured spouse claims.
If the IRS is coming after you for taxes you didn't owe because your spouse or ex-spouse made errors on a joint return, you're facing a specific legal problem with a specific remedy. Many taxpayers are shocked to discover that under joint and several liability rules, the government can collect the full debt from either […]
