When you are legally married you should be filing as Married Filing Jointly since the taxes rates are lower for income versus filing Separately. Plus the Standard Deduction for filing jointly is twice the amount then filing separately.
If you do file Jointly then you have to report your Social Security benefits on a joint tax return. Some of the benefits may be taxable depending on the other income being entered on the return.
Up to 85% of Social Security Retirement/Disability/Survivors benefits becomes taxable when all your other income plus 1/2 your social security reaches:
- Married Filing Jointly - $32,000
- Single or Head of Household - $25,000
- Married Filing Separately - 0
