If I was married in December of 2023, am I able to file married jointly in January 2024 for the 2023 taxes

[DoninGA]

If you were legally married as of 12/31/2023 then you can file as Married Filing Jointly on a 2023 tax return.

[VolvoGirl]

Yes even if you got married on 12/31.   Joint is the best way to file.  Here's some general info on getting married.  Did you both use Turbo Tax last year?

You can not transfer from or combine 2 returns or accounts.  Just pick the return for the spouse that has the most complicated return to enter or has any depreciation or business or  more investments.  Or use the account for whoever you want to be listed first going forward (by the way you can not change the order of the names).  Then add the other spouse's name, ssn and info to it.

You should usually  file a Joint return which is only 1 return combined for the both of you.  Make sure to stick with this one account for the future.  Just ignore the other spouse's account.

Getting Married FAQ

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-filing-status/help/what-does-getting-married-mean-for-my-taxes...

And info on Getting Married…..

http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Getting-Married/INF12006.html

[AnnetteB6]

Yes, your filing status is determined by your marital status as of the last day of the tax year.  So, if you were legally married as of December 31, 2023, then you can file your 2023 tax return as either Married Filing Joint, or Married Filing Separate.

You may benefit from creating a return for each scenario.  You would do one return for Married Filing Joint which would combine the income and deductions from both you and your spouse.  Then, prepare a Married Filing Separate return for each of you.  Most of the time, the combined return will be the most beneficial, but not always.  Also, be sure to account for your state return when deciding which way is best.  

Using the CD/downloaded version of TurboTax will provide the most flexibility for you to decide which filing status is best.  There is a built-in worksheet that makes it easy to do the comparison.  It is called the 'What-If' worksheet.

To learn more, take a look at the following TurboTax help article:

What is my tax filing status (single, married, etc.)?

@ndeliberato