How does marrying affect your taxes?

I am considering marrying. We have a child together. However, I am unsure how getting married will affect my taxes, insurance, etc. Will I have to file as married or can I still file as single? Will I have to change my insurance information? I do not plan on changing my name, if that makes a difference.

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Answered By: Eranthe Law Firm

You can file married filing jointly or married filing separately. Generally you'll pay less income tax if you file jointly. You or your accountant can calculate the tax liability each way and choose the most economical option for you. What insurance you carry is up to you. Your automobile insurance stays the same unless you add your spouse as a second driver. You'll want life insurance for the benefit of your child. It does not make a difference if you change you name or not.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 11/21/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Bullivant Houser Bailey PC

For most people, getting married will reduce their income tax liability. You would have to file jointly or married filing separately. However, for some couples where both have income-primarily those who have similar amounts of income-it will slightly increase their tax liability. Filing separately will almost always result in more tax payable than filing jointly because a lot of beneficial deductions or tax attributes are not allowed to either of you.

Answer Applies to: Oregon
Replied: 11/17/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Steven J. Fromm

Marriage has a big impact on taxes. You can only file married filing jointly (MFJ) or married filing separately (MFS) in most cases. Single is not an option. With MFJ you now are exposed to any of your spouse's tax liability. MFS protects you from the spouse's tax liability but the taxes paid are usually higher. From an insurance standpoint, if his credit rating is bad you may end up paying more in car insurance.

Answer Applies to: Pennsylvania
Replied: 11/17/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Tomas Ayuban

If you are married, your only filing options are married filing joint or married filing separate. If you choose to file married/separate, there are certain limitations in place as to deductions you can take.

Answer Applies to: Florida
Replied: 11/17/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.