MFJ vs MFS - Can proseries tell you quickly?

[bryce]

A friend of mine told me that his lacerte software had a quick way of determining if the clients should file MFJ vs MFS.  

Does Proseries have a way to quickly determine this? Right now the only way I know is the split the MFJ return into MFS, move kids around, and finish the MFS return.  Seems like a lot of work and the software could calculate relatively easily in the MFS return. 

thanks!

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Theres an MFJ vs MFS Comparison worksheet, does that help?   CTRL + F   type   MFS

[TaxGuyBill]

No super quick way.

As you said, split the return and look at each split return.

Drake as a super-quick way - you tell it to split, it calculates the results of MFJ and the two MFS and shows you the results, and asks you if you want to proceed with splitting it.

[Jim-from-Ohio]

there is a MFJ vs MFS worksheet but, especially last couple of years has not been that trustworthy.

[IRonMaN]

Evidently Basic doesn't have the MFJ vs MFS comparison that the Professional version does.  As long as you have the various income sources and deductions tagged as taxpayer, spouse, or joint, it does a decent job to let you know whether or not it is worth exploring splitting the return.  It's not an exact science but it will get you in the ballpark.

[TaxGuyBill]

I've tinkered with it in Professional, but it seemed semi-time consuming to me.

When I was testing Drake, it told me the split numbers in 1 second.

[IRonMaN]

If everything is properly tagged as to what goes to what spouse, it will also split the numbers just as fast or faster than Drake.  And unless Drake is smarter than I think it is, it also has to have some guidance as to what belongs to what spouse or the 1 second split ain't going to be worth the paper it is printed on.

[TaxGuyBill]

Okay, thanks.  Maybe I didn't have things tagged for Taxpayer and Spouse when I was using it.

[IRonMaN]

You betcha!