How to File Taxes Together for the First Time as Married Filing Jointly
Come the start of a new tax year, workers struggle to complete and file their annual income tax return. Married taxpayers have the option to file separately or to file jointly. According to Fox Business, filing jointly often yields the most advantageous tax return. Filing a joint return is very similar to filing a separate tax return. As the name indicates, in a joint return, both spouses' incomes are used to make the tax calculations. Joint filers also use the joint standard deduction (if they choose to take the standard deduction).
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Write your name and your spouse's name on the lines provided at the top of IRS Form 1040. Include both your and your spouse's Social Security numbers in the appropriate boxes.
-
2
Choose Box 2, "Married filing jointly," in the Filing Status section of Form 1040.
-
-
3
Combine your income with your spouses. Use the combined numbers to compute your taxes. Typically, this requires you to add the amounts listed in the "income" or "wages" boxes on W2 forms or other income tax documents. For example, assume you made $50,000 in the last tax year as evidenced by a W2 provided by your employer. Your spouse made $65,000 as indicated by her W2. On Line 7 of Form 1040--the "Wages, salaries, tips etc" line--write "$115,000." This number indicates the combined income of you and your spouse.
-
4
Complete the income tax form as you have in previous years; however, use the combined numbers between you and your spouse's income to make the calculations.
-
5
Sign the tax form, and send it to the IRS. Both you and your spouse must sign the return.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
