Hi, Dtristan89,
That can be a complicated question, made more complicated in certain circumstances (like community property states). Luckily, TurboTax has done a great article on filing separately (MFS) or jointly. It covers reasons you might want to file separately, and also some of the potential tax benefits you lose if you file separately when married (certain tax benefits are not available to those selecting the MFS filing status). I don't know what state(s) you file in, but you should be aware that there are specific rules for how you split income in community property states. This article gives you more detail on that.
Whether or not you are someone's dependent is not a question of preference, rather it is a question of tax law. Here is an article that reviews the requirements for being a dependent. This publication does a deeper dive and you can always return here with follow up questions.
One thing to be aware of when married is the W4 (which is submitted to your employer and governs withholding) had some changes in the not too distant past. This article gives you some key heads up to consider. Remember, any changes you make now will only impact the future and won't correct for any past withholding discrepancies (if any).
Hope this helps.
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Regards,
Karen
TurboTax Expert
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