I started working from Nov 2016 and my spouse works for the whole 2016. Is it beneficial to file jointly or do two separate single filing which one is beneficial?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

If you are legally married as of 12/31/2016 then you can only file as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.  You would want to file as MFJ even if one spouse has little or no income.  You receive the highest standard deduction of $12,600 and you each receive a personal exemption of $4,050.

The filing status of Married Filing Separately is usually the worst way to file a tax return.  See this TurboTax support FAQ on filing separately versus jointly - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separ...