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Getting married changes your taxes, and a few other money rules. Your marital status on December 31 sets your filing status for the whole year. This page shows whether a joint return would cost you more (a marriage penalty) or less (a bonus) in 2026, using the IRS's 2026 brackets and standard deduction, plus the checklist the IRS, Social Security, HealthCare.gov and the FDIC give newlyweds.
Checked Oct. 24, 2026
Runs on your phone; nothing you type is sent anywhere. Use each person's expected 2026 income (wages, before tax). Head of household = unmarried, you paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the year, and a qualifying person lived with you (Pub. 501).
For 2026, the joint standard deduction ($32,200) is exactly twice the single one ($16,100), and the joint brackets are twice the single brackets through the 35% bracket. The 37% bracket starts at $768,700 on a joint return, less than twice the single start of $640,600 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32). So two people with similar incomes usually pay the same either way unless they're in the top bracket, while a couple with one high and one low income usually pays less married.
| Rate | Single (taxable income) | Married filing jointly | Joint = 2 x single? | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | up to $12,400 | up to $24,800 | yes | up to $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,400 to $50,400 | $24,800 to $100,800 | yes | $17,700 to $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,400 to $105,700 | $100,800 to $211,400 | yes | $67,450 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 to $201,775 | $211,400 to $403,550 | yes | $105,700 to $201,750 |
| 32% | $201,775 to $256,225 | $403,550 to $512,450 | yes | $201,750 to $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,225 to $640,600 | $512,450 to $768,700 | no | $256,200 to $640,600 |
| 37% | over $640,600 | over $768,700 | no | over $640,600 |
Taxable income = income minus deductions. Head of household standard deduction is $24,150: a single parent who marries gives up head-of-household brackets, which is a common source of a penalty. Married filing separately uses the single brackets except the 37% bracket starts at $384,350.
| Qualifying children | Max credit 2026 | Phase-out starts (joint) | Phase-out starts (single, HOH) | Credit ends (joint) | Credit ends (single, HOH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | $664 | $18,140 | $10,860 | $26,820 | $19,540 |
| One | $4,427 | $31,160 | $23,890 | $58,863 | $51,593 |
| Two | $7,316 | $31,160 | $23,890 | $65,899 | $58,629 |
| Three or more | $8,231 | $31,160 | $23,890 | $70,244 | $62,974 |
Phase-out amounts are adjusted gross income (or earned income, if greater). Married filing separately can claim the earned income credit only under the special rules for separated spouses.
Separate returns use half-size brackets and a $16,100 standard deduction each. If one spouse itemizes, the other must too. Separate filers generally can't take the education credits or the student loan interest deduction, have a $1,500 capital loss limit instead of $3,000, get the child tax credit and Saver's Credit reduced at half the joint income levels, and can take the earned income credit only under the rules for separated spouses (Pub. 501). Run both totals before choosing.
Facts, not tax advice. We republish IRS, SSA, HealthCare.gov and FDIC rules with dates and do simple arithmetic. Your return depends on your full situation. No partner links on this page.
A marriage penalty is when a married couple filing a joint return owes more federal income tax than the two of them would as unmarried filers. A marriage bonus is the opposite. For 2026, most joint brackets are exactly twice the single brackets, so couples with similar incomes usually see no difference up to the 35% bracket; the 37% bracket starts at $768,700 for a joint return, less than twice the $640,600 single threshold. Couples with very different incomes usually get a bonus.
Only in some cases. For regular federal income tax, the 2026 joint standard deduction ($32,200) and the joint brackets through 35% are double the single amounts, so the penalty shows up mostly at the top (37% bracket), for single parents who file as head of household, and through items that aren't doubled, such as the Additional Medicare Tax threshold ($250,000 joint vs $200,000 single) and the earned income credit.
Yes. Your marital status on December 31 decides your filing status for the whole year, so a couple married on Dec. 31, 2026 files as married (jointly or separately) for all of 2026.
Joint usually costs less, but the IRS says to figure it both ways. Married filing separately uses brackets that are half the joint brackets, and separate filers lose or have limits on several credits and deductions. The calculator shows both totals.
Report a name change to Social Security before filing (the name on the return must match SSA records), give each employer a new Form W-4 within 10 days, update your address with the IRS (Form 8822) and the post office, and check your health coverage: getting married opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov.
Gifts to a spouse who is a U.S. citizen are not taxable gifts. For a spouse who is not a U.S. citizen, the first $194,000 of gifts in 2026 is excluded.
Not tax advice. Figures are republished from the IRS with dates; confirm with IRS.gov or a tax professional before acting.