There are a few things in life that are certain, like death and taxes. With these seven tax advantages for married couples, get ready to tie the knot in favor of a better tax return.
First, tax shelter. If your spouse has lost money as a small business owner, filing a joint return can turn that tax liability into tax benefits.
Second, lowering your tax bracket. This can still happen, but Congress has taken steps to reduce penalties, so the taxes each partner pays aren’t much different from what they paid when they were single base on the article published by Go Banking Rates on February 03, 2023.
Third, benefit shop. Losing a spouse is hard enough without worrying about property protection or inheritance tax. Marriage protects a surviving spouse under federal tax law.
Fourth, state protection. This means that if you die and leave all your property to your spouse, there will be no inheritance tax that will last until the end of his life.
Fifth, IRA for unemployed spouses. A married person without gainful employment can make contributions to her IRA from a joint account as long as she remains a taxpayer.
Sixth, charitable deduction. Applying with your spouse can increase your standard deduction and, in some cases, carry over the excess amount from one tax year to the next.
Lastly, time and expense efficacy. If you have already split your assets and would like to receive more tax credits, it may make sense to file a joint tax return.
Even though nothing is completely tax-free, it helps to be aware of where and how you can reduce your taxes. Perhaps one of the reasons marriage is viewed as a happily-ever-after is because of the tax benefits.