It depends.
"The IRS considers you married for the entire tax year when you have no separate maintenance decree or decree of legal separation by the final day of the year (12/3/24).
If you are married by IRS standards,
Filing jointly can result in a lower tax bill than filing separately, so we recommend calculating your tax liability as separate and joint to learn which offers the most savings (TurboTax can help with this, and recommend the best filing status for you).
Filing as Married Filing Separately:
- You have to agree on both taking the Standard Deduction or itemizing—if one itemizes, you both must itemize.
- You typically must limit itemized deductions such as mortgage interest and property taxes to what you paid as individuals, although you can split any medical expenses paid from a joint account.
- By filing separately, you lose the ability to claim certain tax credits such as for higher education, among other breaks the IRS offers."
For more information, here is a TurboTax Article: Tax Tips for Separated Couples
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