2007-01-02 12:48:04 · 14 answers · asked by joblo 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
yes
2007-01-02 12:49:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
If you are married at any time, even on December 31, of 2006 you may file either Married Filing Joint or as Married Filing Separate. Those are the only two filing options available to a legally married couple. The MFS status does not benefit the couple, usually, because some of the credits are not allowed on a MFS return. Ask your tax preparer to do a comparison between a MFS and a MFJoint and see which was gives you a bigger refund in the end.
Congratulations by the way, on your marriage. :)
2007-01-02 15:36:53 · answer #2 · answered by Meg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bitty, nick, and Judy is correct. Your filing status is determined on December 31. It doesn't matter how long you were married, if you were married on December 31, you are considered married for the entire tax year. So your ONLY options are either Married Filing Joint, or Married Filing Separate. You cannot file as Single, nor do you have the option to elect to file as Single.
Now, if you were married during the year, and then got divorced and the divorce was finalized on or before December 31, then you are considered to have never been married for the tax year.
The only exception to the determination of marital status on December 31 is if your spouse died during the tax year. Then for the tax year when the spouse died, you can file as a surviving spouse, which is basically married filing joint. The next tax year, you would be filing single again.
2007-01-02 13:59:17 · answer #3 · answered by jseah114 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you mean file as single, then no you are not allowed to. It's your status and the end of the calendar year that determines your filing status. It doesn't matter whether you got married on January 1 or on December 31, or somewhere in between.
A person who is married as of the end of the year has two choices - married filing joint, or married filing separately. Filing joint almost always gives you back as much as, or more than, filing separately, except for very unusual circumstances such as when one of the people has huge medical expenses.
If you file as married filing separately, there are some credits that you aren't eligible for. For example, you can't get the earned income credit, the credit for child and dependent care expenses, or education credits.
2007-01-02 13:27:07 · answer #4 · answered by Judy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make copies of your tax form and do the numbers both ways. My wife and I do our taxes as married filing jointly - and sometimes married filing separate. It just depends on how the best results come up since there's a difference in our incomes. Sometimes the one making more gets hit deeper and the one making less can make up for the hit the other takes. Sometimes it's not enough. But we try both ways and whichever gets us hit the least or gets us a bigger return is the way we file.
2007-01-02 13:01:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to file based on what your marital status was as of 12/31/06.
2007-01-02 15:41:13 · answer #6 · answered by blondie172 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are married on December 31st, then you have two filing choices. Married filing jointly or married filing separately. You cannot file as single.
2007-01-02 14:19:36 · answer #7 · answered by raindrop 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you were married on 12/31/06, you can either file Married filing jointly or Married filing seperately.
2007-01-02 12:52:24 · answer #8 · answered by nickfromct 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
As long as you are married by 11:59 on Dec 31st, you have to file either married - jointly, or married - separately.
2007-01-02 12:50:38 · answer #9 · answered by bitty_and_me@verizon.net 2 · 6⤊ 1⤋
So long as you're married before April 15th of the filing year, you can file jointly. Or Seprerately. Up to you.
2007-01-02 12:49:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋