Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had
little or no income.
To determine which is better for you to file, you would need to prepare 2 additional returns (but do not file them) in TurboTax Online. In addition to your current Married Filing Jointly return, you would prepare a Married Filing Separately return for both your husband and yourself.
When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will
each receive the $4,050 personal exemption, plus the married filing jointly
standard deduction of $12,600. You are eligible for more credits including education credits,
earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income
limit to receive the child tax credit.
If you choose to file married filing separately,
both spouses have to file the same way—either
you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be
higher than on a joint return. Some of the special rules for filing separately
include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, or deductions
for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits
may be taxable. In many cases
you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. If you
live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional
information regarding your spouse’s income.
