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Trf43895
New Member

Unsure if I need to file or not

I only made 25k last year, do I need to file? When we file jointly it significantly decreases our return but when we file separately it raises my husbands a little and I only recieve $7. Since I made less than the threshold, can we file jointly and leave mine blank or do I have to put my info still despite not making enough to cross the threshold?

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3 Replies

Unsure if I need to file or not

You should be filing as Married Filing Jointly.  You receive the highest Standard Deduction and your tax brackets are lower than the other types of filing status.

 

When filing as MFJ all income for both of you is entered on only one tax return.

Unsure if I need to file or not

When you file a joint return you have to enter ALL of your combined income even if you have a W-2 for $5.   You cannot just leave out your income.  And .... if you file separately---you still have to report your income even if you think you are "below the threshold" to file.   When you file separate returns, the IRS will be looking for returns from each of you.

 

If you were legally married at the end of 2024 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

 

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $29,200 (+ $1550 for each spouse 65 or older)  for 2024. You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit. 

 

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return.

 

 Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, adoption credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable. Your limit for SALT (state and local taxes and sales tax) will be only $5000 per spouse. In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. The amount you can contribute to a retirement account will be affected. If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income. ( Community property states:  AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI)

 

 If  you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice since with online, you get one return per fee.

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-married-filing-jointly-vs-married-filing-separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901162-married-filing-separately-in-community-property-states

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separ...

 

 

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
Vanessa A
Employee Tax Expert

Unsure if I need to file or not

No.  You need to include ALL income from ALL sources for both people on the return.  

If you chose to file separate returns, you made more than the standard deduction for a Married person filing separately, so you would still need to file a return. 

The 2024 Standard Deductions are as follows:

  • Married Filing Joint (MFJ)              $29,200
  • Married Filing Separate (MFS)      $14,600
  • Head of Household (HOH)             $21,900 
  • Single                                                 $14,600      

Married Filing Joint versus Separate

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