There are five types of tax filing statuses: head of household, qualified widow(er), married filing jointly, married filing separately and single. Your tax filing status can have a big effect on your tax bill and which tax forms you’ll need to fill out. Show
Tax filing status options
Head of householdWho can use it:Typically, unmarried people who paid more than half the cost to keep up a home for the year and provided most or all the support for at least one other person for more than half the year. How it works:
What it gets you:This filing status gets you bigger tax deductions and more favorable tax brackets than if you just filed single. The standard deduction for single status is $12,550 in 2021 — but it’s $18,800 for head of household. And $50,000 of taxable income will land you in the 22% tax bracket if you're a single filer, but if you're filing as head of household, you'll only be in the 12% bracket. Qualified widow or widowerWho can use it:People who lost a spouse recently and are supporting a child at home. How it works:
What it gets you:The qualified widow or widower status lets you file as if you were married filing jointly. That gets you a much higher standard deduction and better tax bracket situation than if you filed as single.
Married, filing jointlyWho uses it:Most married couples. How it works:
What it gets you:Probably a lower tax bill than if you file separately; your standard deduction — if you don’t itemize — could be higher, and you can take deductions and credits that generally aren’t available if you file separately. Married, filing separatelyWho uses it:High earners who are married, people who think their spouses may be hiding income or people whose spouses have tax liability issues. For example, if you're thinking of or are in the process of divorcing and don't trust that your spouse is being upfront about income, this option might be for you. If you've recently married someone who is bringing tax problems into the mix, filing separately might be worth thinking about. How it works:
What it gets you:Usually just a bigger tax bill, but there are a few possible perks.
SingleWho uses it:Unmarried people who don’t qualify for another filing status. How it works:
What it gets you:Possibly lower taxes if you make a lot of money. That’s because at the very highest tax brackets, the income levels that determine the tax brackets for married people filing jointly are less than double the income levels that determine the tax brackets for single people. It’s a phenomenon called “the marriage penalty,” and it means married couples end up in higher tax brackets faster than single people do. For example, let’s assume you and your partner were single in 2021 and you each had $325,000 of taxable income. You each use the single tax filing status. You’ll each be in the 35% tax bracket. Now let’s assume you and your partner are married and use the married, filing jointly tax filing status. You still each make $325,000. You might expect to remain in the 35% bracket, but that’s not the case anymore. If you’re married and filing jointly, your income — simply because it’s combined — puts you squarely in the 37% bracket. When should married couples file separately?Usually, it makes sense financially for married couples to file jointly. However, when one spouse has significant medical expenses or miscellaneous itemized deductions, or when both spouses have about the same amount of income, it might be wiser to file separately.
Is it better to file taxes separately or jointly when married?The IRS strongly encourages most couples to file joint tax returns by extending several tax breaks to those who file together. In the vast majority of cases, it's best for married couples to file jointly, but there may be a few instances when it's better to submit separate returns.
Do you get a bigger refund filing jointly or separately?A joint return will usually result in a lower tax liability (owed federal taxes) or a bigger tax refund than two separate returns.
What are the benefits of a married couple filing taxes separately?Though most married couples file joint tax returns, filing separately may be better in certain situations. Couples can benefit from filing separately if there's a big disparity in their respective incomes, and the lower-paid spouse is eligible for substantial itemizable deductions.
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