---
title: The Best Time for Married Couples to File Taxes Separately
description: For married couples, the decision to file jointly or separately will affect your income.
authors:
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    url: https://money.com/author/jennifer-calfas/
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published: '2017-03-23T17:00:54.000Z'
modified: '2024-04-17T05:30:36.000Z'
section: Taxes
tags:
  - Money
  - Taxes
  - video
word_count: 154
canonical: https://money.com/married-people-taxes-separate/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
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![Couple Calculating Bill](https://img.money.com/2017/03/gettyimages-600414512.jpg)
*Photo Of Young Couple Calculating Bill At Home*

Getting married or having a baby are two major life events to celebrate. But they also have a significant impact on your taxes.

If you were married this year, you can adjust your withholdings by filling out a new W-4 form with your place of employment.

However, deciding whether you should file jointly or separately from your spouse can make things tricky.

95% of married couples file jointly, but there are some ways filing separately could be more beneficial, [depending on their circumstances](https://money.com/heres-when-filing-separately-from-your-spouse-makes-sense/). For example, those couples who have fairly similar incomes should consider filing separately, as to avoid what's been dubbed as "the marriage penalty."

If you're a couple with a new baby, you can receive up to $1,000 in child tax credit as well as an exemption for a new family member.

Watch the video above for what all couples who are married or have a baby should know about their taxes.

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