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Marriage Tax Penalty Calculator

Marriage Tax Penalty / Bonus

Compare tax liability as married filing jointly vs two single filers

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Formula

Marriage Penalty/Bonus = Married Joint Tax - (Single Tax Spouse 1 + Single Tax Spouse 2)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the marriage tax penalty?
The marriage tax penalty occurs when a married couple pays more in taxes filing jointly than they would as two single filers. This typically happens when both spouses have similar incomes because the married brackets are not exactly double the single brackets at higher levels.
When does a marriage tax bonus occur?
A marriage tax bonus occurs when one spouse earns significantly more than the other. The higher earner benefits from the wider married brackets, resulting in lower combined taxes than filing as two singles.

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