Married during the tax year, how does that work

Question

I got married this last year in December. I had done my taxes as if I was not married and had no dependents, which was correct in January. My wife currently does not have a job. Should this effect my income tax filing and return, and if so how?

Answer 1

File your taxes with the status you have as of last day of that tax year.

If you are married as of Dec. 31, that’s your marital status for the entire year for tax purposes. You and your spouse usually may choose to file your federal income tax return either jointly or separately in any given year. You may want to figure the tax both ways to determine which filing status results in the lowest tax. In most cases, it’s beneficial to file jointly.

So the effect is that you withholding as single with no dependents was higher than it needed to be, and you essentially estimated too high in taxes, but when you file that will all get straightened out and your refund should reflect it.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Tax-Tips-for-Newlyweds

Answer 2

If you got married in December 2009, for 2009 you were married. Your choices are Married Filing Joint, or Married Filing Single Separately.

As soon as you are certain of the pending marriage, it would be in your best interest to adjust the W4 accordingly. If you leave it as single, you stand to get a large refund.

If your wife had no income in 2009, you are to the better, by quite a bit, both for standard deduction, exemptions, and brackets.