You got married, so you file jointly. It’s what married people do, right? Not necessarily. In general, couples who file jointly receive more tax breaks. But there are some situations where it may make sense for a couple to file separately.
We’ll break down when and why you might want to consider joint or separate filing, the potential drawbacks, and how to decide which filing status best supports your financial goals.
Key Takeaways
- Choosing between married filing jointly (MFJ) and married filing separately (MFS) directly affects your tax liability, eligibility for credits, and deduction limits.
- Filing separately may reduce overall tax liability in specific situations, such as high medical expenses, student loan repayments, or potential liability issues.
- Married filing separately limits or disqualifies you from major tax benefits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and education credits. It may also subject you to narrower tax brackets.
- The decision to file taxes separately can be a strategic and financial decision that’s not a reflection of the quality of your marriage.
Understanding Filing Status Options
Married couples generally have two options for filing taxes: married filing jointly (MFJ) or married filing separately (MFS). Your filing status can affect your tax rates, your eligibility for certain tax benefits, and the amount of your standard deduction. So, it’s important to review each option carefully and choose the one that suits your financial situation and goals.
Married Filing Jointly (MFJ)
The most common filing status for married couples. You can file jointly if you were legally married on the last day of the year (or if your spouse passed away during the year and you haven’t remarried).
You and your spouse report combined income, deductions, and credits on one tax return. For 2025, the standard deduction is $15,000, or $30,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Important
Both spouses are equally liable for the accuracy of the return and any taxes owed, regardless of who earned the income.
Married Filing Separately (MFS)
MFS means you and your spouse report your income, deductions, credits, and exemptions on separate tax returns. This option can make sense in cases of high medical expenses, student loan repayment, or when you want to separate from your spouse’s tax obligations. In some cases, filing separately could lower your tax bill.
Filing separately also has its limitations. You may not be able to claim certain tax credits (like the Earned Income Tax Credit, adoption credit, and the student loan interest deduction).
Reasons To Consider Filing Separately
While filing jointly is often more beneficial for couples, filing separately offers a strategic advantage in certain situations.
1. Significant Income Differences
If one partner earns much more, filing separately can reduce your tax burden. Combining your incomes when filing jointly can put both of you in a higher tax bracket, and your total income might make you lose some deductions and credits you could get if filing alone. But filing separately allows each person’s deductions and credits to be calculated based on their own Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), rather than the combined total.
2. High Medical Expenses
If you or your spouse has high medical bills, filing separately may allow for a larger deduction. On Schedule A (Form 1040), you can only deduct the portion of your expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).
For example:
- Filing jointly: If your spouse has $10,000 in medical expenses and your combined AGI is $50,000. The deductible amount is calculated as:
$10,000 − (7.5% of 50,000 ) = $10,000 − $3,750 = $6,250 deductible - Filing separately: If the same spouse reports an individual AGI of $30,000, the deductible amount becomes:
$10,000 − (7.5% of 30,000) = $10,000 − $2,250 = $7,750 deductible
Filing separately in situations like this can help you deduct a larger portion of your medical bills and reduce your overall tax liability.
3. Student Loan Repayment
If you’re repaying student loans under an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan, filing separately could reduce your monthly payments. IDR plans calculate your required payments based on your income. So, when you file separately, only your individual income is considered, which lowers the amount you owe each month. But if you file jointly, the IDR calculates both your and your partner’s income, which will mean higher monthly payments.
Filing separately can help lower your student loan payments for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) because only your income is counted, not your spouse’s. This can make your payments more manageable while still working toward loan forgiveness. Filing jointly could push you both into a higher tax bracket, and a higher income might also reduce or cancel out deductions and credits you would’ve qualified for on your own.
4. Liability Concerns
If your spouse has tax problems, filing separately can shield you. Filing jointly establishes joint and several liability, meaning both spouses are legally responsible for the entire tax bill, penalties, and any reporting errors—regardless of who earned the income or made the mistake.
When you file separately, you are only liable for your own income, deductions, and tax return accuracy. This protection is critical if:
- One spouse has unresolved tax debt (back taxes or penalties) or active disputes with the IRS.
- One spouse is currently under an IRS audit or investigation for misreporting income.
- Spouses want to avoid being linked to specific income streams for tax purposes, such as self-employment or business income.
Eric Croak, CFP and president at Croak Capital, said, “Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is another potential reason to file married separate, if one spouse would be a primary AMT driver.”
He continued, “This is common for large amounts of incentive stock option (ISO) gains. If one spouse has substantial gains, and the other has enough income to trigger AMT, filing separately can cut the AMT in half (or completely eliminate AMT, if the primary earner’s income is below the AMT filing threshold). This isn’t a guesstimate. These numbers add and subtract real money, and often mean a six-figure difference in one direction or the other.”
Tip
Results can vary based on each spouse’s income and deductions, so always run both joint and separate calculations to see which option actually lowers your AMT bill.
Potential Drawbacks of Filing Separately
While it can be beneficial, filing separately has potential drawbacks. Here are the main ones:
1. Loss of Key Tax Credits
Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA and TurboTax expert, said, “There are some tax breaks that are not available if you file married filing separately like, the Child and Dependent Care Credit up to $1,050 for one child and up to $2,100 for two or more kids, the Earned Income Tax Credit up to $8,046 for a family with three kids, education credits, and new under One Big Beautiful Bill the deductions for overtime and tip income.”
Missing these credits often increases your overall tax bill.
2. Limited Tax Deduction Opportunities
A key rule is that if one spouse itemizes, the other must also itemize, even if the standard deduction would save them money. This often reduces the total tax benefit for the household.
Additionally, some common deductions are unavailable when filing separately. For example, you generally can’t claim deductions for student loan interest, tuition, or fees. Losing these education-related tax benefits can significantly increase your overall tax liability.
3. Narrower Tax Brackets
Filing separately usually means you’ll hit higher tax rates faster because the tax brackets are narrower than if you file jointly. For the 2025 tax year, the 22% tax bracket for married filing separately (MFS) starts at $48,476, while for married filing jointly (MFJ) it starts at $96,951. So if you and your spouse both earn moderate or higher incomes, filing separately may push each of you into higher tax brackets sooner than if you filed together.
4. Retirement Account Limitations
Filing separately can severely restrict your access to tax-advantaged retirement accounts, particularly if you lived with your spouse at any point during the year.
This filing status subjects your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA to an extremely low income limit. The phase-out begins at a Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) of just $10,000, and you are completely cut off from contributing above that threshold.
This makes it difficult to take full advantage of Roth IRAs or deduct contributions to a traditional IRA, reducing flexibility and potentially increasing taxes on retirement savings. Over time, this can affect your long-term financial planning.
5. Complex Record-Keeping
Filing separately can be more complicated than filing jointly. You need to accurately track and report all your income, deductions, and credits across two separate returns, which can be difficult if you and your spouse don’t keep perfectly organized records.
This is especially true in community property states (like California, Texas, and Arizona). If you file separately in these states, you must correctly report half of all community income (income earned during the marriage) in addition to any separate income you earned. This requires careful, time-consuming effort and leaves little room for error.
How To Decide the Best Filing Status
What works for one couple may not work for another, and the same is true for taxes. Here’s what to consider when choosing a filing status:
1. Compare Both Options
Use tax software to estimate your tax liability under married filing jointly and married filing separately scenarios. Compare the results side by side to better understand the best option for your household’s financial situation.
2. Factor in Major Life Events
Your tax situation changes year to year. Life events like having a child, buying a home, or taking out student loans affect your deductions and credits. Review your filing status annually instead of assuming last year’s choice still works.
3. Evaluate Your Deductions
If one spouse has large itemized deductions—like medical expenses or business costs—run the numbers under both filing options. Comparing the results helps you pick the status that saves you the most.
4. Consider Liability Risks
Filing separately can protect you from your spouse’s back taxes, penalties, or audit problems. Consider this when choosing your filing status to keep your own finances safe.
5. Consult a Tax Professional
Online tax resources may not address your specific financial situation. A tax advisor can analyze your finances, identify overlooked deductions or credits, and recommend the filing status that minimizes your tax liability.
Seth Kamens, CPA, MBA, managing member, Kamens & Associates, said, “Often CPA’s produce worksheets which will show the final result of filing jointly vs separately, and the CPA and taxpayer/spouse can make a judgment call based on that information.”
The Bottom Line
Filing jointly isn’t always optimal for married couples. Depending on your financial situation and goals, filing separately may reduce your tax bill—or increase it. Calculate both scenarios to determine which saves you more. When in doubt, consult a tax professional, and reassess your filing status annually as your circumstances change.
