File Taxes With New Husband

[Pray777]

I just received widowers Social Security I am over 60. I just got married. Because my amount is just $1,000 a month they told me I didn't have to file taxes. Should my new husband file taxes separate from me, because I was already informed I didn't have to file 

[DoninGA]

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

[VolvoGirl]

No you should file a Joint return with him.  If you file separately you will have to file a return and all your Social Security will become taxable on your separate return.  A Joint return is one return for the both of you combined.  You will need to report your Social Security on the Joint return.

Unless you have a specific reason to file separate returns,

It is usually better to file Joint. Joint has the lowest tax rates and the highest Standard Deduction.   And if you are in a Community Property state MFS gets tricky to figure out. 

See …….

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/married/help/is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-...

[Faith C]

Hi Pray777,

First of all, congratulations on your wedding! When you were single and your annual income was less than $12,550 (which is the 2021 standard deduction for a single taxpayer), you did not need to file tax because you did not owe tax and had no tax credit or withholding to claim. After getting married, you will want to include your new husband's income and see if filing the return as Married Filling Jointly will be the best option for your case. Generally, MFJ has more tax advantages than Married Filling Separately. Here is the link regarding "Does Everyone Need to File an Income Tax Return?"

It is hard to determine which filing status is the best for your case since everyone is different. However, we have a wonderful tool, Tax Calculator, can help you to find out if you will be getting a refund or tax liability if you file MFJ or MFS. If you are still uncertain on how to file your tax, please feel free to contact out TurboTax Live Expert. We can always assist you regarding your tax.