If you’re legally married as of December 31 of the tax year, the IRS considers you to be married for the full year. Usually, your only options are to file as either married filing jointly or married filing separately. Using the married filing separately status rarely works to lower a couple’s tax bill.

Can I file head of household if I got married in December?

You must generally be unmarried to claim head of household status. If you’re married, you must generally file as either married filing jointly or married filing separately, not as head of household. In this case, you may be able to qualify as head of household.

When to file your 2018 tax return if you are married?

This means that even if you get married on Dec. 31, 2018, you can file your 2018 tax return in 2019 with a filing status of married.

Which is better for married clients to file jointly or separately?

Use the following procedure to assess whether it is more beneficial for your married clients to file jointly or separately using the Filing Status Optimization utility in UltraTax CS/1040. After UltraTax CS calculates taxpayer and spouse data, it provides you with a report that allows you to quickly identify the optimal filing status.

Can a married couple file a joint income tax return?

Regardless of the reason, a married couple can have an income tax filing status as married filing jointly with separate residences. Even if spouses are legally married but not living together, they may file a joint income tax return unless they’re bound by a court decree of separate maintenance.

What’s the standard deduction for a married couple?

The 2018 standard deduction for married couples filing jointly is $24,000, regardless of whether couples live together or separately. If you file in this category in 2018, you’ll need to file your income tax return in 2019 on the new IRS form 1040.