5 Tax Benefits of Marriage You Should Know About
Key takeaways
One of the biggest tax benefits of marriage is the ability to file a joint tax return, which can make it easier to claim certain tax deductions and credits.
Getting married might even put you in a lower tax bracket.
If you have children, you’ll likely qualify for additional tax perks.
Chelsea Zhao is an assistant director of High-Net-Worth Tax Planning at Northwestern Mutual.
The cost of planning a wedding might induce sticker shock, but tying the knot also has some financial perks. There are several key tax benefits of marriage. For starters, married couples can file a joint tax return to unlock a larger standard deduction. And if you eventually have children, you could be eligible for additional tax deductions and credits.
Filing taxes jointly is typically easier than filing individually
Your tax-filing status is important because it impacts your tax rate and determines which tax credits and deductions you qualify for. Married couples have the option to file jointly. That means combining your income, tax credits and deductions into a single return. This route usually makes it easier to qualify for certain tax deductions and tax credits. Deductions bring down your taxable income, while credits directly reduce your tax bill.
One of the biggest advantages of filing jointly is that the two of you can also claim a larger standard deduction. This is the amount automatically shaved off your joint taxable income. In 2025, the standard deduction for married couples who file a joint tax return is $30,000—which is double the amount for a single person or married couple filing separately.
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Marriage can put you in a lower tax bracket
Your income determines your tax bracket and, in turn, the rate at which your income is taxed. Below is a snapshot of the 2025 tax brackets.
If your partner earns substantially less than you do, filing a joint tax return could put you in a lower tax bracket, but this isn’t always the case. It’s possible that combining income with your spouse could actually push you into a higher tax bracket—a situation that’s commonly referred to as the marriage tax penalty. This is more likely to happen if you’re both low- or high-income earners.
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Let's talkMarriage can increase your gain exclusion in home sales
If you sell your primary residence and meet the eligibility requirements, a single filer is allowed to exclude up to $250,000 of capital gain from taxable income. This gain exclusion is doubled to $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.
Non-working spouses can save for retirement with an IRA
Getting married can also make it a little easier to save for the future. Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) allow you to build your nest egg outside of any employer-sponsored plans. You can open and fund an IRA yourself, and enjoy some nice tax advantages along the way.
- Traditional IRAs: Allow for tax-deductible contributions and tax-deferred growth. That means you won’t owe taxes until you make withdrawals in retirement.
- Roth IRAs: Are funded with after-tax dollars. You can withdraw your contributions at any time, tax- and penalty-free. You can also tap your investment earnings free and clear if you’re at least 59½ and have had the account for five years or longer.
But what happens if one partner temporarily steps out of the workforce? This might happen if you choose to have children. A spousal IRA allows the working spouse to contribute on behalf of the non-working partner—up to $7,000 in 2025 (or $8,000 if you’re 50 or older). You must file a joint tax return to qualify. It could be set up as either traditional IRA or Roth IRA.
Married couples can access each other’s employment benefits
This is considered one of the tax benefits of marriage because it can indirectly lead to tax savings. For example, let’s say you’re enrolled in a high-deductible health plan through your spouse’s employer. This will allow you to contribute to a health savings account (HSA), which offers a unique triple tax break:
- Contributions are tax-deductible.
- You won’t owe taxes on growth.
- You’re entitled to tax-free withdrawals if the money is used to pay for qualified medical expenses.
The HSA Contribution limit is twice as high for family coverage compared to individual coverage ($8,500 family coverage vs. $4,300 single coverage). Once you turn 65, you can use HSA funds to help supplement your retirement income (though these distributions will be taxed).
It might also feel easier to make pre-tax 401(k) contributions as a married, dual-income household. These contributions are tax-deductible, which will reduce your taxable income for the year.
Married couples have estate tax benefits
When someone passes away and leaves assets behind for their loved ones, it could trigger an estate tax and inheritance tax. Right now, there’s a $13.99 million estate and gift tax exemption per person—although some states have lower thresholds. That means federal estate tax will only kick in on an estate’s value that exceeds that amount, and the threshold for married couples is twice as high.
On the upside, spousal gifts are exempt from estate tax—even if your husband or wife leaves you millions of dollars after their death. While there is no federal estate tax, there may be one at the state level.
Is it better to be married or single, financially speaking?
Only you and your partner can decide if getting married is the right move. If it feels like a good idea, the tax benefits of marriage can be an added bonus. But these things are often complicated, which is why working with a financial advisor can be so valuable. They can help you work through the details as you and your partner build your life together and plan for the future.
