How to Choose Your Tax Filing Status if You’re Married
If you’re married then you’ve probably just always filed a joint return with your spouse. In fact, chances are you’ve never even considered filing any other way. However, for some people, married filing jointly is not the best option. Depending on your situation, it could be more advantageous to file separately. Here are some things to consider when choosing what filing status to use if you are married.
While in many cases, filing together could help lessen the tax hit on you and your spouse it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, the only advantage of filing jointly is that you only have to worry about one return. If you and your spouse both work and one of you earns a lot more than the other, then it will typically be better to file jointly, as it will usually help reduce your combined tax bill.
On the other hand, there are other circumstances wherein it that might better to file separately. For example, if you both have taxable income and one of you has a lot of itemized deductions limited by adjusted gross income (AGI), then it might make sense to file separately. That’s because by filing separately, you can also separate both of your AGI’s. If your AGIs are lower on your separate returns, you can save on your tax bill.
This is just one example of where filing separately from your spouse could be helpful. However, it’s best to weigh all your options before making that choice. If you’re not sure what status to choose, you can contact us at GROCO for help. We’ll look at all the numbers and all the possible scenarios and choose the best path for you. Call us at 1-877-CPA-2006, or click here.
What’s the Biggest Mistake Young Investors Make?
What’s the Biggest Mistake Young Investors Make? There are all kinds of investors and there are even more investing strategies. There are also just as many possible mistakes you can make as an investor. Those who’ve been in the stock market a long time have likely seen it all. And if they’ve had any kind of sustainable success…
This Could Be the Year to Stop Itemizing Your Deductions
This Could Be the Year to Stop Itemizing Your Deductions Tax season is just about here again. That means millions of people are getting ready to gather up all their financial information for the year 2018 and file their returns. This year will be like no other, thanks to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. One of…
Why Are Wealthy Families Turning Their Noses on Hedge Funds?
Why Are Wealthy Families Turning Their Noses on Hedge Funds? Many investors look to see what the wealthy are doing when it comes time to get into the stock market. After all, these investors are wealthy because they’ve played the market right. For years, many of the wealthiest investors in the country have hedged their…
These Two Phrases Are Signs of Weak Leadership
These Two Phrases Are Signs of Weak Leadership Good leaders and bad leaders have many differences. Effective leaders tend to do things well, while ineffective leaders often don’t. However, it’s interesting to note that both kinds of leaders make mistakes. No one is perfect. What sets these two kinds of leaders apart is how they…