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.
How Will Taxes Affect Your Success in Retirement?
Are you at that point in your career where the number of years you’ve already worked greatly outnumber the years you have left to put in? If retirement is just around the corner for you, or even still out on the horizon a bit, you should be using this time to get ready for taxes.…
Could L.A. Millionaires Be Facing Another Tax?
Everyone can agree that being homeless is terrible. No matter what the circumstances are that bring an individual to this predicament, it’s unfortunate that anyone has to be without a place to call home. Cities all over the country deal with the homeless in different ways, including California. The Golden State is considering taking its…
Do Risk Takers Make Good Leaders?
There are countless stories of leaders in the business world that have taken great risks in order to become successful. The fact is there is risk in almost any professional decision a person makes. Some choices carry much great risker than others, but risk is part of every decision we make. While you often…
The True Value and Importance of Communication
Communication is extremely valuable in all relationships and in almost every setting. If you want to have a successful relationship with your spouse you must be able to communicate effectively with each other. If you want to have a positive relationship with your children, then you have to learn to communicate with them. Communication in…