Get IRS 8379 Instructions 2021-2024

Form 8857: Request for Innocent Spouse Relief is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax form used by taxpayers to request relief from a tax liability involving a spouse or former spouse. Generally, couples filing a joint tax return are both, jointly, responsible for any tax obligation.

Related Separation of Liability Relief. Equitable Relief. Injured Spouse Relief. Tax Relief for Spouses.

You can file Form 8379 with your joint return or amended joint return (Form 1040-X), or you can file it afterwards by itself. File Form 8379 with Form 1040-X only if you are amending your original return to claim a joint refund.

Injured spouse relief lets you reclaim money taken from your tax refund to cover your spouse's debts. Innocent spouse relief relieves you from paying additional federal income tax owed by your spouse due to errors on a joint tax return.

This means the IRS has your tax return and is processing it.

Taxpayers file Form 8857 to request relief from tax liability, plus related penalties and interest, when they believe only their spouse or former spouse should be held responsible for all or part of the tax.

You may request innocent spouse relief if: You filed a joint return with your spouse. Your taxes were understated due to errors on your return. You didn't know about the errors.

Share: The phrase “injured spouse” has nothing to do with being physically hurt. In taxes, you might be an injured spouse if you file a joint tax return when your spouse has past debts the IRS can collect. Even if you should be getting a refund, the IRS might use all or part of your refund to pay your spouse's debts.