State tax filing

Georgia does not have an additional tax break for a spouse who did not work due to illness or injury.

 

You can get a lower tax rate by filing together. Married filing jointly is better than tax rate for married filing separately.

 

You can also claim a larger standard deduction by filing together ($6,000 for 2021) compared to $3,000 (2021) for married filing separately.

 

If your income is lower because your spouse did not work, you may be eligible for the Low Income Tax Credit. You may claim the low income credit if your federal adjusted gross income is less than $20,000 and you are not claimed or eligible to be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s Federal or Georgia income tax return.

 

Georgia requires the same filing status used on the federal return unless one spouse is a nonresident with no Georgia-source income.