Me and my wife got married in sept 2016. Do we have to file married or can me file single

[MichaelMc · Accepted solution]

Filing status Single is not an option. If you are married on the last day of the year, you are considered married for the entire tax year. Your choices are Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.

In most cases it is better for a married couple to choose Married Filing Jointly filing status, even if one spouse had little or no income. This allows you the possibility of claiming several tax credits that are disallowed to Married Filing Separately filers. By filing a joint return, you obtain the benefit of the larger joint Standard Deduction ($12,600) and both your and your spouse's Personal Exemptions ($4,050 per person).

For more information, please see IRS Pub. 501 Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.