Quickly estimate whether marriage creates a tax bonus or a tax penalty by comparing your combined married filing jointly tax bill to the total you would pay as two single filers.
What the Marriage Tax Calculator does
Our Marriage Tax Calculator helps couples estimate the federal income tax impact of getting married. It models two scenarios: married filing jointly and two single filers. By entering each spouse’s income and optional pre-tax adjustments, you can see the difference in tax owed between the two filing approaches for the selected tax year.
Because the U.S. tax system uses progressive brackets and different standard deduction amounts for each filing status, your combined tax can go up or down when you marry. Higher-earning couples with similar incomes sometimes face a marriage penalty, while couples with uneven incomes often benefit from a marriage bonus.
What’s included (and what isn’t)
- Federal income tax brackets for 2023 and 2024
- Standard deductions for single and married filing jointly
- Optional pre-tax adjustments (e.g., 401(k), HSA, IRA)
- Optional itemized deductions you can input manually
To keep results fast and easy to understand, the calculator does not include state or local income taxes, the Alternative Minimum Tax, credits (such as the Child Tax Credit, Saver’s Credit, education credits), phaseouts, the Net Investment Income Tax, or special filing situations (e.g., head of household, qualified widower). Consider the output a directional estimate for planning and comparison.
How to use the calculator
- Select a tax year: choose 2023 or 2024.
- Enter each spouse’s income and any pre-tax adjustments.
- Choose the deduction method. If you itemize, provide itemized totals for each spouse and for the joint scenario.
- Click Calculate to see your estimated married filing jointly tax, the combined tax as two single filers, and the difference (bonus or penalty).
Standard vs. itemized: which should you choose?
Most taxpayers take the standard deduction because it’s simple and often larger than itemized totals. If you expect higher deductible expenses (mortgage interest, charitable gifts, SALT up to limits), itemizing may reduce your taxable income. This tool lets you compare either approach: “Standard” uses IRS standard deductions; “Itemized” uses the figures you provide. For simplicity, when you select itemized, the calculator assumes itemizing in both scenarios and does not test which is optimal.
Understanding a marriage bonus or penalty
A marriage bonus occurs when your tax bill is lower together than it would be as two single filers. This tends to happen when one spouse earns significantly more than the other. A marriage penalty can arise when both spouses earn high and similar incomes, pushing more income into higher brackets under the joint schedule than the two separate single returns would have.
Practical tips to reduce taxes as a couple
- Max out pre-tax retirement accounts (401(k), 403(b), traditional IRA if eligible).
- Use HSAs and FSAs where available to lower taxable income.
- Review withholding after marriage to avoid underpayment penalties.
- Consider bunching deductions (e.g., charitable gifts) in a single year to itemize.
- Evaluate Roth vs. traditional contributions based on your combined marginal rate.
Why use this tool?
The Marriage Tax Calculator gives you a quick, comprehensible snapshot of how marriage could affect your federal tax liability. It’s perfect for high-level planning, budgeting, or simply satisfying your curiosity before digging into detailed tax software or consulting a professional. Because your situation may include credits, phaseouts, or state taxes not modeled here, consider this a starting point and seek personalized advice when needed.