Do I need to file as married filling jointly as before when my spouse didn't have any income last year?

[Texas Roger · Accepted solution]

You are not required to file married filing jointly but it is almost always the best way to file even if a spouse has no income. You get a standard deduction that is twice as much as you would get filing separately and you get two personal exemptions. Both of these benefits reduce the amount of income you must pay taxes on.