Filing seperately, I owed $104, filing jointly it is about 10k for each of the two years in question.

A little update:

I did get an attorney, we are appealing the Innocent Spouse relief denial. He has received copy of actual tax return without my signature. There was deception at time of original filing as I did not know that exWH was having an affair. We did not live together the years of the tax debt, nor the years that the payments should be made, so I do not benefit from him not paying this debt. I had every reason to believe that this debt would be paid as I did not know that divorce was coming and assumed that we would pay it off together and live happily ever after.

I am saving EVERY receipt to show my ins and outs in case I need that to show economic hardship. Even the attorney said he has no idea how I live on such a small income with two kids.

I don't even ask exWH about the status, it is obvious that he won't deal with it. I did give them his home address in a letter since they refused to take that info from me on the phone. The IRS won't tell me anything about whether he is in contact with him, or making payments. They treat him like he is in the Witness Protection Program, which is very frustrating as it is debt on his income.

So I have an attorney, in appeals process (the US Tax Court just sounds so intimidating to me).

The debt is about $18,000 and climbing daily.

Keeping fingers crossed for this process to be OVER!