About the Marriage Tax Calculator
A marriage tax calculator compares the combined tax of two people filing separately against filing jointly as a married couple. Depending on the income split, marriage produces either a bonus or a penalty under US federal tax.
The formula
Bonus or penalty = tax filing jointly − combined tax filing as singlesMarried filing jointly brackets are generally double the single brackets at lower levels but not at the top, which is what creates the penalty for two high earners.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter your Your Annual Income ($). The field starts at
70000, which you can overwrite. - 2Enter your Spouse Annual Income ($). The field starts at
55000, which you can overwrite. - 3Read the result straight away — it recalculates as you type, so there is no button to press. Use Share to copy a link that reopens the page with your exact numbers filled in.
Worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Your Annual Income ($) | 70000 |
| Spouse Annual Income ($) | 55000 |
Result
Single Filing Total: $17606.00
Married Filing Total: $17606.00
Marriage Bonus: $0.00
Those are the values the page loads with, so you can reproduce this result yourself and then change one field at a time to see what drives the outcome.
Understanding your result
A marriage bonus arises when incomes are unequal. The higher earner's income is effectively spread across two sets of lower brackets, pulling some of it into lower rates. A single-earner couple typically sees the largest bonus of all.
A penalty arises when both earn similarly high amounts. Because the top brackets for joint filers are less than double the single thresholds, two high earners can push into a higher bracket together than either would alone. The state and local tax deduction cap, which is the same for singles and couples, compounds this.
Things worth knowing
- Unequal incomes generally produce a bonus; two similar high incomes generally produce a penalty.
- Filing separately as a married couple rarely helps, since it forfeits several credits and deductions.
- Your marital status on 31 December determines your filing status for the entire year.
- The SALT deduction cap applies equally to single and joint filers, which worsens the penalty in high-tax states.
- Student loan income-driven repayment plans can make separate filing worthwhile despite the higher tax.
Frequently asked questions
Does getting married raise or lower my taxes?+
It depends on the income split. Unequal incomes usually produce a marriage bonus; two similar high incomes can produce a penalty because the top joint brackets are less than double the single ones.
Should we file jointly or separately?+
Jointly, in the great majority of cases. Filing separately forfeits credits including education and childcare credits, and usually results in higher combined tax. Exceptions involve student loan repayment plans or large medical deductions.
When does the marriage penalty apply?+
Mainly when both spouses earn high and similar incomes, since the highest joint brackets are not double the single thresholds. The capped SALT deduction adds to it in high-tax states.
What determines my filing status for the year?+
Your marital status on 31 December. Marrying on the last day of the year means filing as married for that entire tax year.