It’s that time of year again…tax time! It’s a time of gathering all of your financial documents and keeping your fingers crossed that you will get a big refund in the mail rather than having to pay Uncle Sam more money out of your pocket. Whether you got divorced or had your marriage annulled last year, filing taxes this year will certainly be different. In particular, if you had your marriage annulled, there are some specific issues you may have to deal with.

Whether you have been divorced or had your marriage annulled, either way you look at it, your marriage has come to an end. However, a divorce is the end of a marriage that was valid at the time the parties wed. An annulment, on the other hand, marks the end of a marriage that was either void or voidable at the time the parties wed. For instance, under Family Code Sections 2200 and 2201, the marriage may have been void in California if it was illegal due to incest or bigamy. Or under Family Code Section 2210, the marriage may have been voidable due to a number of reasons, including fraud, force, physical incapacity, and unsound mind. The marriage may also have been voidable because the party filing for the annulment was under eighteen years old at the time of the marriage. Or lastly, the marriage maybe voidable and thus an annulment granted if there was a prior existing marriage that took place after the former spouse was absent for five years and not known to be living.

If the marriage simply ended by means of a divorce (also known as a dissolution of marriage in California) by December 31st of the prior year, then you will be required to file a separate tax return for the taxes due April 15th of the following year. You won’t be able to even file married filing separately if your divorce has actually been finalized by the court as of the end of the prior year.However, if your marriage ended via an annulment, then tax filing gets a bit more complicated. If you were married during the last tax cycle, then chances are that you filed your taxes as “married filing jointly” with your spouse. Once the April 15th tax deadline has passed, people who filed joint tax returns are usually not allowed by the IRS to change their filing status to file separately. However, since your marriage was annulled, that means that your marriage was never valid at the time you previously filed joint tax returns. Consequently, you must now file an amended tax return for the prior year as a single person rather than as married filing jointly. This may result in you paying more taxes because typically filing jointly with your spouse has some tax benefits that single filers don’t get. On the flip side, if you would have paid less in taxes as a single person, then you will be entitled to a refund when you file the amended tax return. In addition to amending your previous tax return(s), you must file this year’s taxes separately.

If you are interested in a divorce, separation or annulment from your spouse we can provide you with information and guide you through your options. Contact our team of experienced attorneys. We are prepared to litigate on your behalf. Nancy J. Bickford is the only attorney in San Diego County representing clients in divorces, who is a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) and who is actively licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Don’t settle for less when determining your rights. Call 858-793-8884 in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, North County or San Diego.

www.bickfordlaw.com