Marriage Tax Calculator

Name: Marriage Tax Calculator
Author: Jacob McEwen

Find out if getting married will save or cost you money on taxes. Compare filing as two singles versus married filing jointly.

By Jacob McEwen·Updated for 2026 tax year·Editorial standards

Wedding rings — representing the marriage tax bonus or penalty calculation for joint vs separate filing — Photo by Marc A. Sporys on Unsplash

Interactive Calculator

All inputs adjust the result in real time. No data leaves your browser.

Tax Year

Spouse A Income

Spouse B Income

State

Combined Income: $150,000

Marriage Tax Bonus

+$95You save by marrying

You save $95 per year filing jointly

Filing as Singles (Total)

$27,020

Combined tax burden

Filing Jointly

$26,925

Married joint tax

Difference

+$95

Combined Take-Home (Joint)

$123,075

As Two Singles

Spouse A Income$85,000

Spouse A Tax−$16,428

Spouse A Take-Home$68,573

Spouse B Income$65,000

Spouse B Tax−$10,593

Spouse B Take-Home$54,408

Combined Take-Home$122,980

Married Filing JointlyBetter

Combined Income$150,000

Federal Tax−$15,450

FICA−$11,475

Texas State Tax$0

Total Tax−$26,925

Combined Take-Home$123,075

2026 federal income tax brackets for married filing jointly, showing marginal rates from 10% to 37% — **Figure.** Married filing jointly brackets are roughly double the single brackets at the lower end but compress at the top — the 37% bracket starts at $768,700 for MFJ vs $640,600 for single. — Source: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-11

The Background

The marriage bonus or penalty arises because federal tax brackets for married couples filing jointly are not always exactly double the single brackets. When two spouses earn similar incomes, their combined income can push them into higher brackets compared to filing separately -- resulting in a marriage penalty.

Conversely, when one spouse earns significantly more than the other, filing jointly often results in a marriage bonus. The higher earner benefits from the wider married brackets, while the lower earner's income fills the lower brackets.

This calculator compares the total tax burden if both partners filed as single versus the tax on their combined income filing jointly. The difference reveals whether marriage helps or hurts from a tax perspective.

Keep in mind that tax implications are just one factor. Marriage also affects estate planning, Social Security benefits, health insurance, and many other financial considerations. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.

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Frequently Asked

Does getting married lower your taxes?+

Usually, when incomes are unequal. The joint standard deduction is $32,200 in 2026 and the joint brackets are exactly double the single brackets through 32%, so a one-earner couple on $100,000 pays about $4,700 less federal tax than a single filer on the same income. Two earners with similar incomes see almost no change — their doubled brackets simply hold two single incomes.

What is the marriage penalty in 2026?+

Extra tax a couple owes by filing jointly compared with two single returns. It survives in three places: the 35% bracket, which for joint filers ends at $768,700 rather than twice the single $640,600; the 0.9% additional Medicare tax and 3.8% net investment income tax thresholds, which are $250,000 joint rather than twice $200,000; and the SALT deduction cap, which is $40,400 joint and $20,200 for married filing separately. It bites hardest on two high earners.

Should we file jointly or separately?+

Jointly, almost always. Married filing separately uses the single brackets but loses or limits the earned income credit, the child and dependent care credit, education credits, the student-loan interest deduction and Roth IRA eligibility, and halves the SALT cap. The cases for separate filing are narrow: one spouse on an income-driven student-loan plan, large medical deductions on one spouse's income, or liability concerns.

Does state tax have a marriage penalty?+

Some states do. Most double their brackets for joint filers, but Virginia, Rhode Island, Delaware, Arkansas and West Virginia use the same bracket thresholds for single and joint returns, which creates a state-level penalty for two earners; Virginia offers a spouse tax adjustment credit of up to $259 to soften it. The calculator applies each state's actual 2026 joint schedule.

Does the year we marry matter?+

Your filing status is set by your status on December 31. A couple married on December 31 files jointly for the whole year; a couple married on January 1 files as singles for the year before. For a one-earner couple that is a one-time bonus worth several thousand dollars; for two high earners, moving a December wedding into January can avoid a one-time penalty.