Should I file married filing jointly if my spouse didn't work

anhughes92 · ‎May 31, 2019

I worked my husband didn't should I file married filing jointly or head of household

MargaretL · ‎May 31, 2019

You should file as Married Filing Jointly, as it is the most beneficial filing status for married individuals. The fact that your spouse had no income will help you even more - your income will be reduced by joint standard deduction ($12,600) and by joint exemptions of $8,100. That is much better tax benefit than if you were to file as Married Filing Separately.

You don't qualify for Head of Household (HOH) just because your spouse didn't work. You must be unmarried or considered unmarried and have a dependent child to qualify for HOH.

View solution in original post

MargaretL · ‎May 31, 2019

You should file as Married Filing Jointly, as it is the most beneficial filing status for married individuals. The fact that your spouse had no income will help you even more - your income will be reduced by joint standard deduction ($12,600) and by joint exemptions of $8,100. That is much better tax benefit than if you were to file as Married Filing Separately.

You don't qualify for Head of Household (HOH) just because your spouse didn't work. You must be unmarried or considered unmarried and have a dependent child to qualify for HOH.