<prompt> Human: Ill start off by saying I know Im way late to the tax party, but theres a reason for it. My wife left in November of last year with our daughter who was born in July of last year. We have always argued about money, mostly because she would never get a job and Im junior enlisted in the US Army. I dont make that much money.Anyways, come tax time, I kept asking for her and my daughters information so I could file the taxes joint and give her 23 of the return. Apparently that wasnt enough because she wouldnt give me anything and refused to agree to file jointly.Ive been having some money issues now because Im sending her so much for spousal and child support, but she wont do anything to help me out. Im giving up on filing jointly.The last conversation we had she said she wanted my tax information so she could file the taxes jointly and send me my share. She refused to tell me a specific percentage, so I feel like Id be gutted again. She drained my bank account 2 days after a payday, so my trust in her having that much money that Im entitled to is very very low.If I file separately, I will be losing a lot of entitlements and obviously get a much, much lower return that filing jointly. I understand that. I just dont know if Im legally obligated to give her a percentage of the return if I file separately.Ill be filing in Texas.  <response>: In negotiations for divorce settlement, you will both declare ALL assets, including your tax refund and the total will be divided according to the eventual divorce decree.If you can get her to agree to a legal separation, assets acquired after that date can escape inclusion, depending on jurisdiction and sometimes the whim of the judge.Get a good lawyer. Draining your bank account just after payday is bad behavior that may have consequences. 