Huwelijksbelastingcalculator

See whether you get a marriage tax bonus or penalty by comparing single vs married filing.

Uw gegevens

Person 1

$
$

Person 2

$
$
$

Leave 0 to use standard deduction.

Enter both incomes and pre-tax deductions, then click Calculate to see your marriage tax bonus or penalty and comparison.

Volledige gebruikershandleiding

What is the Marriage Tax Bonus or Penalty?

When two people marry, they can file as Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) or Married Filing Separately (MFS). How their combined tax compares to what they would have paid as two single filers is called the marriage bonus (you pay less) or marriage penalty (you pay more). The result depends on your incomes: similar incomes often produce a penalty; very different incomes often produce a bonus, because joint brackets can benefit the higher earner. This calculator uses 2024 federal brackets and standard deductions to estimate the difference.

Sleutelconcepten

Filing as singles vs MFJ

Filing as singles: each person's tax if not married. Married Filing Jointly (MFJ): combined income and deductions with one set of brackets (double the single brackets).

Married Filing Separately (MFS)

Each spouse files separately; many credits and deductions are limited or lost. In practice, MFJ is usually better when allowed.

Marriage bonus vs penalty

Marriage bonus: total tax as married is less than combined tax as singles. Marriage penalty: total tax as married is more than combined tax as singles. Similar incomes often produce a penalty; very different incomes often produce a bonus.

Hoe deze rekenmachine te gebruiken

  1. Enter Person 1's annual income and pre-tax deductions (e.g. 401k).
  2. Enter Person 2's annual income and pre-tax deductions.
  3. Enter combined itemized deductions if you itemize; otherwise leave 0 for standard deduction.
  4. Click Calculate to see marriage bonus or penalty and the comparison chart.

Inzicht in uw resultaten

The hero card shows whether you have a marriage bonus (savings) or penalty (extra tax) and the amount. The comparison table shows tax per person as single, combined single tax, and married filing jointly. The chart compares tax under Singles, MFJ, and MFS. Use the “Why This Happens” note for a short explanation based on your income split.

De grafieken begrijpen

Comparison chart

A bar chart comparing tax under Singles, Married Filing Jointly, and Married Filing Separately. This lets you see at a glance how each filing status affects your total tax.

Belangrijke opmerkingen

  • This calculator is for estimation only. It is not tax advice. State taxes and phase-outs are not included.
  • MFS limits many deductions and credits. In practice, MFJ is usually better when allowed.

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