💍 Married Filing Jointly or Separately? What’s Best for You?

💍 Marriage brings plenty of exciting firsts — your first home, shared goals, and maybe even your first joint tax return. But when it comes to filing your taxes, many couples are left wondering:

Should we file jointly or separately?

The truth is, both filing statuses have pros and cons. The right choice depends on your income, deductions, and sometimes — where you live.

At Progressive Tax Services, we’re here to help you understand each option so you can make the best decision for your household.

👫 Filing Jointly: The “Teamwork” Option

Most married couples choose to file a joint tax return, combining their income, deductions, and credits into one return

✅ Pros

• Bigger Tax Breaks – Joint filers typically qualify for higher standard deductions and better tax brackets.

• More Credits – You can claim valuable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, or education credits that may not be available when filing separately.

• Simpler Process – One return, one signature, one refund (hopefully!). It’s easier to manage overall.

⚠️ Cons

• Shared Responsibility – Both spouses are equally responsible for the accuracy of the return and any taxes owed.

• Potential Refund Delays – If one spouse has past-due debts (like child support or student loans), your joint refund could be reduced to cover it.

Example:

Let’s say John and Lisa file jointly. John earns $55,000 and Lisa earns $45,000. Together, their combined income keeps them in a lower tax bracket and qualifies them for credits like the EITC. If they filed separately, they’d lose those benefits and potentially pay more overall.

💔 Filing Separately: The “Just in Case” Option

Filing separately can make sense in certain situations — especially when one spouse has significant medical expenses, high student loan payments, or tax concerns.

✅ Pros

• Separate Liability – Each spouse is responsible for their own tax return. This can protect one spouse from the other’s tax issues or debts.

• Medical or Miscellaneous Deductions – If one spouse has high medical costs (over 7.5% of their income), filing separately could help them meet the threshold to deduct those expenses.

⚠️ Cons

• Fewer Credits Available – Separate filers lose access to credits like the Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, and EITC.

• Higher Tax Rates – Separate filers often fall into less favorable brackets, meaning they may pay more in total taxes.

• Complicated Filing – Some deductions and credits must be split 50/50, which can make the math tricky.

Example:

Ashley and Marcus are married, but Marcus has a tax lien from before their marriage. Ashley doesn’t want their joint refund taken to pay his debt, so they decide to file separately. Even though they lose some credits, it protects her portion of the refund.

🏡 Common Law vs. Community Property States

Where you live can also affect how you file.

The IRS recognizes two types of state property laws: common law and community property.

🌎 Common Law States

Most U.S. states — including Texas, Florida, and New York — follow common law rules.

That means:

• Each spouse reports their own income and deductions based on ownership or who earned it.

• Filing jointly or separately follows standard federal rules with no special adjustments.

🤝 Community Property States

In community property states (like Texas, California, Arizona, and Louisiana), income and assets acquired during marriage generally belong equally to both spouses — no matter who earned them.

That means:

• If you file separately, each spouse typically reports half of the total community income and half of the community deductions, even if one person earned all the money.

• This can make filing separately more complex, since additional IRS forms (like Form 8958) are required to split income and deductions properly.

💡Progressive Tip:

If you live in a community property state like Texas, talk to a tax professional before deciding to file separately. Community income rules can be tricky — and the last thing you want is to underreport or misallocate income by mistake.

📊 The Bottom Line

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

• File Jointly if you both have clean records, similar income levels, and want to take advantage of all available credits.

• File Separately if there are concerns about debt, high medical expenses, or complex financial situations.

At Progressive Tax Services, our goal is to make filing stress-free — whether you’re newly married, longtime partners, or somewhere in between.

💬 Let’s chat about your situation and find out which filing status works best for you.

📅 Schedule your appointment today at www.progressivetaxus.com or call us at 972-761-5082.

Because at Progressive Tax Services — We make taxes make sense for everyone!