If you are in the middle of a divorce, your tax returns may be one of the most valuable tools you have for understanding your family’s finances. These documents can help you uncover accounts, income sources, and financial details that you may not have been aware of before.
For many women, this is the first time they are really looking closely at the returns. In a lot of marriages, the husband handled the tax filings, so it can feel overwhelming to suddenly be handed this stack of paperwork. That’s okay. Even if you are not a numbers person, I promise there are key things you can spot quickly once you know what to look for.
The first step is making sure you get the last three to five years of tax returns. That’s a long enough period to establish patterns and catch anything unusual. If your spouse refuses to share them or claims you “don’t need them,” don’t panic. You can request your tax information directly from the IRS, which will give you the information you need.
Now here’s where things get interesting! Tax returns can actually point you toward hidden accounts. Look at Form 1040, specifically the lines for taxable interest and dividends. These are currently lines 2 and 3 on the first page of the tax return. If there are numbers there, that means someone in your household is earning interest from bank accounts or dividends from investments.
When you see numbers on those lines, check to see if there’s a Schedule B attached to the return. This schedule breaks down the details, listing the banks or brokerage firms that paid the interest and dividends. If you see names of financial institutions you’ve never heard your spouse mention, you may have just uncovered secret accounts.
Even if the accounts are not secret, this is still an important list for you to create. Every bank account, investment account, or retirement account listed on the tax returns should be tracked down and documented. Request the most recent statements and review them carefully to see how much money is in the accounts and what activity has been happening over time. These are assets that most likely belong to both of you, and you want to make sure they are included in your divorce settlement.
It’s also important to review multiple years of returns, not just one. By looking at the tax returns year after year, you may notice interest income or dividend payments that suddenly disappear. That could mean accounts were closed or money was moved. You may also see new sources of income pop up that you didn’t know about. These shifts can give you valuable clues about where to keep digging.
The tax returns may not tell you everything, but they are often the starting point for building the financial picture of your marriage. They connect the dots between income, assets, and financial institutions. They can raise questions you didn’t even know you needed to ask.
Your husband may intimidate you when it comes to the taxes… telling you that you don’t need to see them or you wouldn’t understand them anyway. Both of those statements are true. Stand your ground and ensure you get these documents and that you take a look at them. If you know an accountant or tax preparer in your family or friend group, maybe they can even help you understand the tax return.
If you’re going through a divorce, don’t underestimate these documents. They can be the key to uncovering money you didn’t know about and making sure you get your fair share.
