Can my husband and i file taxes seperate or do we have to file together?

Print out the 1040 form and do a trial run to see which filing status gives you the most money back.

My bet would be that married, filing jointly will give you the most money back because the deductions for a married couple is an automatic $24,400.

It's unlikely that married filing separately will get you more money.  The only way to know if to calculate your taxes both ways and see which one gets you the lowest taxes.  With software, this is trivial.

Do it Separately.

If you’re married, it’s advisable to file jointly to get the most benefits.

You need to file as married, but don't have to file a joint return, can each file as married filing separately. In some situations you get more filing joint, but in many cases it will be the same.

You can file married filing seperately or married filing jointly. It's almost Always better to file married filing jointly.. H&R Block does a good job, and have no reason to tell you to file it in a way that would cost you more... (scam)... if you can't do them yourself you need to have someone do it, rather than mess it up.

If all you have are W2s, you can easily do your taxes yourself. In general, it would be better to file jointly with your husband, as some credits are not available when you file MFS. It doesn't matter that your forms have your maiden name on them. If you've changed your name with social security, you need to get it changed with your current employer. The only reason you might not want to file with your husband is if he owes back child support or if either one of you defaulted on student loans. That can be remedied by filing an Injured Spouse form with the return. If you don't think you can handle this yourself, find a private preparer and not one of the franchises. More knowledgeable, and usually lower cost as well. You might even qualify to use a VITA preparer, which is free.

Legally you can choose to file jointly or separately, but if you file separate you MUST use "married filing separate" status, you may not file as single.

Since you are legally allowed to choose, the best plan would be to run the numbers both ways and choose the one with the best overall result. Most of the time filing jointly will be better but it doesn't hurt to run both options and double check.

H&R block will do this for you but you can do it yourself with any of the major tax software programs. You probably even qualify for free filing through one or more software options.

Your marital status as of 12/31/2019 determines your filing status for your 2019 return.

As such, you must file as Married-Filing Jointly or Married-Filing Separately.For most couples, Married-Filing Jointly is better.

The name on the W2 doesn't matter.  The name on your tax return should match would the Social Security Administration has.

H&R Block is expenses but, generally, they do a good job.

You can, but you miss out on any breaks given to married couples.