Most married couples never think about filing their taxes separately. They simply check off “married filing jointly” on their tax form and move on to the hard questions.
Generally speaking, a married couple should file their taxes together. Filing jointly combines a couple’s two incomes into one amount, which, after excluding nontaxable income, becomes the couple’s adjusted gross income (AGI). This larger number may push a couple’s income into the eligibility zone of certain deductions and credits.
Nevertheless, there are certain situations when you should consider opting for “married filing separately”.