Calculate your marriage penalty or bonus. Compare taxes when filing jointly vs. separately to see if marriage helps or hurts your tax bill.
Income Details (2024)
Enter both spouses' gross incomes
👤 Person 1
$
👤 Person 2
$
📋 Deductions
$
Marriage Penalty/Bonus
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Married Joint Tax
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Person 1 Tax (Single)
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Person 2 Tax (Single)
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Combined Single Tax
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Married Joint Tax
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Person 1 Income
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Person 2 Income
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Combined Income
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Person 1 Federal Tax
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Person 2 Federal Tax
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Total Single Tax
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Married Filing Jointly Tax
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Marriage Penalty (+) / Bonus (−)
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FAQ
What is the marriage tax penalty?
A marriage penalty occurs when two married people, filing jointly, pay MORE total tax than they would as two single filers. It typically hits couples with similar incomes most heavily.
What is the marriage tax bonus?
A marriage bonus occurs when a couple pays LESS total tax filing jointly than they would separately. This commonly happens when there is a large income disparity between spouses — the lower earner "pulls" income into lower brackets.
Can we file separately if there is a penalty?
Married Filing Separately (MFS) is an option but usually results in HIGHER taxes for most couples. MFS loses many credits (Earned Income Credit, education credits) and uses less favorable brackets. It's rarely as good as filing jointly.
Does state income tax also have a marriage penalty?
Yes, some states have their own marriage penalties. Nine states (AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI) are community property states with different rules. Check your state's specific tax brackets.