Accidentally Swapped Primary Taxpayer

[Kirsten]

Hi all! New Here .
I’m married, filing joint. Third year filing together. Not Path (only CTC). We filed 1/30, accepted by IRS 2/2. We’ve been at one bar on WMR ever since. No updates on TPG (I’ve learned a lot here!!)

I just realized that by using TT for the first time (instead of CPA), I swapped my husband and I’s names without knowing it could result in delays.

Anyone know just how much of a delay we could be looking at? Thanks for any tips!

[Kirsten]

Dawn, thanks for that! That’s good to hear. Impatiently waiting now! 😂😆😩

[Dawn]

I have been filing married joint for 23 years and we always swap by whoever has made the most and we have never waited more than the normal processing time ever

[Kirsten]

We also have a new daughter (and a six year old, but we’ve obviously filed with her before). I’ve heard that can cause some delays, with a new SSN and all.

[Kirsten]

Thanks, all, for the responses! :)

[Sharon24]

@kristen. Yes I was told if you filed jointly previously and because the system recognizes the primary taxpayers name and SS first. Once it’s reversed it gets kicked out of the system and a person needs to look at it. In your case they will see what you did fix it and put it back through. In my case they saw that plus my maiden name was missing so it got flagged for something else and went to identity theft dept too. So with my 2 problems it took 2 months. You have a simple fix so maybe it will be half that time.

@sara if you never filed jointly it doesn’t matter how you filed the first time jointly. That’s why you didn’t have a problem

[Sara]

I swapped us on purpose. Who ever made more should be first. The 2nd is technically the dependent of the other. My husband and I have been filing separate for the last few years, like separate heads of households because we maintained different households in different parts of the country. Completely legal per the IRS filing status rules on their site and we both have solid proof in case we get audited. So this year we’re miraculously filing joint because we lived in the same house all year and we finished processing in about 3 days. Just waiting on a Ddd. I would not sweat that. The computers look for actual errors not potential errors. Now our state return is having a heart attack over this but I’ve known we live in a sexist state.

[Kirsten]

@sharon24 oh no!!! :( Are you positive that it was because of the primary taxpayer switch?

I’m soooo upset with myself over this! I don’t recall TT mentioning the importance to me whatsoever! :’(

[Sharon24]

Also once they fix it this year make sure from now on you list yourself as primary or you’ll have a delay again next year

[Sharon24]

I did the same thing 2 years ago. It was my first time doing my own taxes and I just didn’t think about it. You’re in for a bit of a wait. All in all it was about a 2 month delay and that was with a tax advocate. I also had the additional problem of dropping my maiden name. I never realized that my CPA was using May Maiden name and married name when filing. I never hyphenated my name. So I also got an ID verify letter.

[Kirsten]

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