DawnC
Expert Alumni

Deductions & credits

The SALT deduction (which is either state/local income tax plus property tax OR sales tax plus property tax) is capped at $5,000 for married couples filing separately and $10,000 for all other filers.   In 2017 and earlier, there was no cap.   If you file separately, you can both deduct $5K each, and if you file jointly, you can deduct $10K.    @oldchev 

 

An example can be found here.

 

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.   

 

If you file separately and live in Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin, you have to deal with community property allocations and adjustments, which adds extra work and complexity to your taxes.

 

Filing Jointly vs Filing Separately

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