Need advice on if we should file seperate or jointly if Married in September

[jno17]

My spouse and I got married in September. We have not combined any finances and only have 1 bank account open together. We also didnt report our marriage status to our employers and are still listed as single. Does it make more sense to file separately this year or file jointly? Do we have to file jointly now that we are married? Is there any paperwork we have to submit to prove the marriage did happen?

[Bsch4477]

Filing jointly is almost always the more beneficial filing status. No proof of marriage is required. 

[Vanessa A]

No, you do not have to file jointly.  You can choose to file as Married filing jointly or married filing separately.  

Depending on whether or not you each take any type of credits or the student loan interest deduction, you may not be able to claim them when filing separately.  

If you have a simple return with just your W-2's and no credits then filing separately will not make a difference in the end. 

You do not need to prove that you got married. 

[jno17]

I do believe my spouse has student loan interest, I do not have any student loans. I have a house mortgage only in my name that I pay interest on. Knowing these items, best case is to file jointly??

[MinhT1]

In almost all situations, it is more beneficial to file Married Filing Jointly than Married Filing Separately.

Please read this TurboTax Help topic for more information.