People put way too much trust in their tax professionals.
I recently met with a new client who asked me to review her 2024 tax return. Right away, something didn’t add up: her previous preparer had her filing separately from her husband.
There are very few situations where Married Filing Separately makes sense. In fact, over 93% of married couples file jointly because it almost always results in a lower overall tax liability—especially when one spouse earns more than the other.
So I started asking questions.
Why were they filing separately?
What was her husband’s income?
What explanation did her previous preparer give?
Her answer:
“They said it didn’t really make a difference.”
A costly lie.
For three years, the husband and wife had been using different preparers, filing separate returns, and neither professional bothered to consider whether filing jointly would save them money—or even educate them about the option. I’m honestly in disbelief at the quality of work coming from some in my profession.
Today, I called my client with the results. We amended her 2024 return, and she’ll be receiving a $9,000 refund from the IRS. We’re now digging into prior years, where we expect to find even more savings.
If you’ve been wondering whether something feels “off” about your taxes, take this as your sign:
Get a second opinion.
There’s a good chance you’re leaving money on the table.
Schedule an intro consultation if you want to start saving today: https://morkel-financial.square.site
