Yes, if you were married as of December 31, 2024, you can choose to file Married Filing Separately.
There are pros and cons to filing separately.
The benefits of Married Filing Separately include:
- only being responsible for your tax liability
- lower income threshold for claiming certain deductions, such as medical expenses
The cons of filing separately include:
- loss of credits such as Earned Income Credit and education credits
- possibly paying higher tax than filing jointly
- you must take the itemized deduction if your spouse itemizes, even if you don't have any itemized deductions
If you live in a Community Property State, you and your spouse may need to report some of each other's income on your tax return.
For more information:
- Married Filing Jointly vs Separately
- When Married Filing Separately Will Save You Taxes
