There are several credits that are not available to you when you file separately as opposed to jointly. Because of the way the IRS writes tax code, married couples who file jointly can get higher breaks than they did when they were single. Some things like the Child Tax Credit or Student Loan Interest Deduction, for example, come with an income phaseout. That means that at certain income levels, the full deduction or credit is reduced. By filing jointly, however, those phaseouts start at higher income levels, so you may be eligible for more now.
Generally, filing jointly (one tax return instead of two) will give you a bigger refund or less taxes due. You can compare your estimated taxes for filing jointly vs. separately with TaxCaster.
What does getting married mean for my taxes?
Comparing MFS and MFJ
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