What Is Married Filing Jointly?

Married filing jointly is a tax filing status that allows a married couple to file a single tax return that records both of their taxable income, deductions, credits, and exemptions. The main alternative is "married filing separately."

Married filing jointly is generally a better choice for couples, as it makes them eligible for some advantageous tax credits and deductions. However, separate filings are preferable in some cases. For example, if there is a great disparity in earned income between the two, filing separately may allow the lower earner to maximize certain deductions.

How Married Filing Jointly Works

Taxpayers are required to indicate their tax filing status on the top of the first page of Form 1040 by checking off the appropriate box. The options include:

• Single
• Married filing jointly
• Married filing separately
• Head of household
• Qualifying surviving spouse

Married couples filing jointly generally have access to more tax benefits.

When using the married filing jointly filing status, both spouses are equally responsible for the return and the taxes. If either one understates the taxes due, both are equally liable for the penalties, unless the other spouse can prove they were unaware of the mistake and did not benefit from it.

Married Filing Jointly vs. Married Filing Separately

When using married filing jointly status, your total combined tax liability is often lower than the sum of your individual tax liabilities if you had filed separately. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) encourages couples to file together by offering them various tax benefits that don’t apply to other filing statuses.

Couples who file together qualify for multiple tax credits, including:

• Earned Income Credit (EIC)
• Child and dependent care credit
• American opportunity tax credit (AOTC)
• Lifetime learning credit (LLC)
• Saver's tax credit

A joint tax return often provides a bigger tax refund or a lower tax liability. However, this is not always the case.

A couple may want to investigate their options by calculating the refund or balance due when filing jointly and separately. Then use the one that provides the biggest refund or the lowest tax liability.

Married Filing Jointly Requirements

You can use the married filing jointly status if both of the following statements are true:

1. You were married on or before the last day of the tax year. In other words, if you were married on Dec. 31, you are considered to have been married all year. If you were unmarried, divorced, or legally separated (according to state law) on Dec. 31, you are considered unmarried for the year. There is an exception to this rule for the death of a spouse.
2. You and your spouse both agree to file a joint tax return.

If you were not divorced or legally separated on Dec. 31, you are still considered unmarried if all of the following apply:

• You lived apart from your spouse for the last six months of the tax year (not including temporary absences for reasons such as business, medical care, school, or military service)
• You file your tax return separately from your spouse
• You paid over half the cost of keeping up your home during the tax year
• Your home was the main home of your child, stepchild, or foster child for more than half of the tax year
  

The Bottom Line

Married filing jointly is one of the statuses that taxpayers can choose when they file their annual tax returns. This status is used by married couples who decide to file a single return. The couple must include their total income, deductions, and credits on that return. For most couples, filing jointly has advantages, including a lower tax bill or a higher refund.

When in doubt, prepare separate and joint returns to see which one makes more sense.