Not married, filing jointly

[jkingraham]

Can a couple file jointly if they are not married?

[Hal_Al · Accepted solution]

No.

.You may be able to file as Married Filing Jointly if you live in a state that recognizes common law marriage. Currently, the following jurisdictions recognize common law marriage:

 Alabama (if entered into before 1-1-2017)

 Colorado

 District of Columbia

 Iowa

 Kansas

 Montana

 New Hampshire

 Oklahoma

 Rhode Island

 South Carolina

 Texas

 Utah

Alabama (2017), Georgia(1997), Idaho(1996), Ohio(Oct. 1991), and Pennsylvania(2005) are grandfathered for the marriages before the year indicated. Living together in a common law state is usually insufficient - you need to hold yourself out as married including owning property together, having joint bank accounts, etc. To find out your state’s rules see:

http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/common-law-marriage-states.html