Married Filing Jointly vs Separately: Which Should I Choose?

Like many of the decisions made in a marriage, the choices that couples make are based on their specific circumstances. The same concept applies to the decision you make regarding filing status after you tie the knot.

Once you get married, your filing status will shift from either single or head of household to married filing jointly or married filing separately. A lot of couples often wonder, “What is my filing status now that I’m married?” as well as wondering, “Should I File Married Filing Jointly or Separately”?

Typically, the IRS considers you married for the entire year, even if you don’t get married until the last day of the year. So, if you are legally married as of December 31st, then you must file as either married filing jointly or married filing separately. 

Let’s review the pros and cons of filing jointly or separately and the reasons why couples may choose one status over the other. 

Married filing jointly vs. separately: What do these filing statuses mean?

When you’re married, you and your spouse generally have two filing options: married filing separately vs married filing jointly. 

Married Filing Jointly

When you choose married filing jointly, you will combine your income, credits, and deductibles with your spouse’s into one tax return with the same tax rate. For most couples, filing jointly often benefits family taxes and decreases what you and your spouse owe. It also includes tax benefits like earned income credits and educational credits.

If you are owed a tax refund, you can choose to receive direct deposits to multiple accounts, multiple checks, or a combination of the two. But, choosing to file married filing jointly also means both you and your significant other are responsible for any taxes, interest, and/or penalties due to the IRS.

Married Filing Separately

You and your spouse will each file your own individual tax returns for a total of two returns. This means you’ll be taxed on your individual income and you can only take credits and deductions that you qualify for individually. Moreover, when married filing separately, you may not be able to claim certain tax benefits like the credit for childcare expenses or the earned income tax credit. 

You cannot mix and match married filing jointly vs separately; if one of you chooses to file separately, both parties must file the same way.

Who’s eligible to use married filing jointly? 

Your eligibility to file married filing jointly is solely based on your marital status on the last day of the tax year. 

Therefore, if you are married by December 31st, 2024, you may file a joint tax return with your spouse for the 2024 tax year. On the other hand, if your divorce is finalized by December 31st, you’re considered unmarried for the entire year.

The IRS also allows married filing jointly filing status for couples who live together in common-law marriages, provided they began in states that recognize those arrangements. 

Additionally, you may file a joint tax return if you live apart from your spouse but are not legally separated.

Are you able to use married filing jointly if you don’t have taxable income?

Yes, all legally married couples are able to file a joint return, even if one spouse doesn’t have taxable income or deductions.

Pros & cons of filing married filing jointly

Should I file a married filing jointly? 

In general, couples who file married filing jointly vs separately receive more tax breaks, which means more money in their pockets at tax time.

The IRS gives couples filing jointly the largest standard deduction each year. This standard deduction allows couples to deduct a considerable amount from their taxable income immediately. For 2024, the standard deduction for a couple filing jointly is $29,200 as opposed to $14,600 if you are filing separately or are single.

In addition, for couples to qualify for certain tax credits, they cannot file married filing separately and must file a joint tax return. Some popular tax credits that couples who file married filing jointly can qualify for include: 

• Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit up to 35% of $6,000 in expenses ($2,100) for 2 or more people 
• Earned Income Tax Credit up to $7,830 for a family with 3 or more kids
• American Opportunity Tax Credit up to $2,500 per person
• Lifetime Learning Tax Credit up to $2,000 per tax return

Typically, couples who file married filing jointly can have more income before they are phased out of certain tax credits and deductions. 

One potential drawback to filing jointly is the amount of paperwork you have to deal with during tax season. 

If you’ll be filing as a married couple, it’s best to start getting all your documents handy early in the tax season to give you ample time to file. Start organizing and gathering together both your:

• W-2s
• 1099s
• Records for medical and childcare expenses
• Documentation for capital gains/losses
• Receipts for charitable contributions
• Other documents that report income, potential tax credits, or deductions

Pros and cons of married filing separately

There are a variety of tax benefits of marriage, but there are times to question, “Is it better to file jointly or separately from your spouse?” This depends primarily on your financial situation, as one spouse may receive a larger refund if they file separately.

Couples who choose to file separate tax returns receive few tax incentives. Filing separate tax returns causes you to be taxed at a higher tax rate. The standard deduction for married filing separate filers is $14,600 for 2024, which is significantly lower than the amount available to married filing joint filers. 

Some common disadvantages to filing a separate tax return also include: 

• Not being able to take a deduction for student loan interest. 
• Typically being limited to a smaller IRA contribution deduction. 
• Being disqualified from several tax credits and benefits available to those married filing jointly. 
• Both spouses will either need to both itemize or use the standard deduction. They cannot choose different methods.

When might it be a good idea to file separately?

As discussed, couples who file jointly generally receive more tax breaks, but sometimes it’s a good idea to consider submitting a married filing separate tax return. 

These situations may include the following scenarios: 

• If together, the married couple’s income would be too high to qualify for the medical expense deduction, but if filing separately, one spouse could qualify for the medical expense deduction. 
• If your spouse’s tax bill is significant, then filing separately can serve as protection so your refund would not apply to what your spouse owes. 
• If your spouse has not paid outstanding child support payments, filing separately would prevent the IRS from taking your portion of any refund. 

A note on community property states

Community property includes all property acquired during your marriage. As of 2024, community property states include:

• Arizona
• California
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Texas
• Washington
• Wisconsin​

If you’re filing separately, these states require registered domestic partners to follow state community property laws and report your half of the community property income on your return.

How to decide which filing status to use? 

The best filing status will depend on your individual situation. Most people benefit from opting for married filing jointly since tax rates can be lower, and there are more tax deductions and credits available when you file married filing jointly. At tax time, TurboTax will guide you through choosing the right filing status for your situation.

What if your spouse has passed?

When your spouse passes, you’re considered married for the entire year for tax purposes. If you don’t remarry, in the year your spouse dies, you can file jointly with your deceased spouse. For two years after the year of the death,  you may use the filing status of qualifying widow(er) with a dependent if you remain unmarried or file as single.

Single

Someone unmarried and doesn’t have any dependents. You qualify for the single-filer tax bracket that typically has lower income thresholds than married couples and submit your tax documents alone. 

Once you are married, you cannot file single unless you are divorced or widowed by December 31st of the year for which you are filing.

Qualifying Widow(er) with a Dependent Child

A widow(er) can continue using the married filing jointly tax rate for up to two years after the death of a spouse. If you remarry within two years, you can’t claim this filing status anymore. 

We’ve Got You Covered

No matter what moves you made last year, TurboTax will make them count on your taxes. Whether you want to do your taxes yourself or have a TurboTax expert file for you, we’ll make sure you get every dollar you deserve and your biggest possible refund – guaranteed.