The Military Home Programs' Blog

We all know the saying, “there is more than one way to skin a cat” but did you know that California state law also allows more than one way for military families to file their California tax returns? If not, keep reading because you may need to double check your prior year refunds to save big $$$.

Normally, if you file a “married filing joint” federal tax return, you must also file a joint tax return for your state. However, in California, this is not the case. Active duty military members and their spouses may file a “married filing separate” return. So how do you know which way to file? That’s easy! The key to remember is that California actually encourages military families to figure the amount they owe using both the joint and separate filing status to determine which is cheaper. If you have not done this in prior years, the state also allows you to go back several years and amend your state return if necessary. As always, with the complex tax codes, we have to keep in mind that there are several different ways to file depending on how long you have been in California and on what state your military spouse is domiciled in.

For more information on which form to file, see FTB Publication 1032 – Tax Information for Military Personnel at www.ftb.ca.gov or contact Karen.Bates@MilitaryHomePrograms.com.