Should we file together or separately for taxes?

Hi, my partner and I are getting married next week, and we’re trying to figure out the best way to file our taxes. I (30M) earn about $90,000 a year, and my partner (F27) earns around $40,000. We asked family for advice on whether to file as Married Filing Jointly or Separately, but they all had different opinions and aren’t really sure about it. Any help or insights would be great. Thanks!

Filing jointly is usually better unless one of you has an income-based repayment plan for student loans. Just a heads-up, the return is the document you file, and the refund is the money you get back if you overpaid taxes.

@Hal
Got it, thanks for the clarification and the advice.

Unless student loans are involved, filing jointly is almost always the better choice.

Filing jointly tends to lead to lower taxes overall compared to filing separately.

Orin said:
Filing jointly tends to lead to lower taxes overall compared to filing separately.

Thanks for the info, that’s helpful.

Paxton said:

Orin said:
Filing jointly tends to lead to lower taxes overall compared to filing separately.

Thanks for the info, that’s helpful.

If you’re in a state like Ohio, sometimes separate filing is better, so make sure to check both federal and state.

@Wesley
Interesting, we do live in Ohio. Thanks for mentioning that.

The best way to decide is to calculate your taxes both ways and see which one results in less total tax. That said, filing jointly is generally better, especially when one partner earns significantly more than the other. Filing separately often only makes sense if student loan repayment plans are based on individual incomes.

@Eliot
Thanks, that explains a lot!

Use a tax tool like FreeTaxUSA. Enter your details for both of you as Married Filing Separately and look at the combined taxes. Then do a Married Filing Jointly return and compare the numbers. Filing jointly is usually better unless you have special situations like student loans, outstanding debts, or a preference to keep finances separate. Just focus on the tax liability, not the refund amount. Refunds are just money you overpaid, not actual savings.

Most tax software can optimize your filing status. Run it both ways to see what works best, though Married Filing Jointly is generally better.

Jin said:
Most tax software can optimize your filing status. Run it both ways to see what works best, though Married Filing Jointly is generally better.

> Run it both ways to check, but MFJ is usually better than MFS.

You might find this tool useful:

https://cotaxaide.org/tools/Estimated%20Tax%20Worksheet.html

If you live in a community property state, filing separately can get tricky since any income earned after the marriage date is considered split equally. Might not affect you much this year since you’ll only be married for one month, but it’s something to keep in mind for next year.

Filing separately could make sense if you’re worried about a refund being taken for debts your spouse owes. Otherwise, filing jointly is likely better, especially with those income levels.

The main reason to file separately would be if there’s a debt you want to keep separate from your spouse. Otherwise, filing jointly is usually the way to go.

There are only a few cases where filing separately is better. Most tax software will calculate both options and tell you which is best for your situation.

The only way to know for sure is to run the numbers both ways. Most tax software should let you compare them easily.