The marriage penalty is a tax penalty that can be imposed on married couples who file their taxes jointly. It occurs when the combined tax liability of a married couple is greater than the sum of their individual tax liabilities if they were to file separately. The marriage penalty can be significant, and it can affect couples of all income levels.
There are a number of ways to avoid the marriage penalty. One way is to make sure that both spouses have roughly equal incomes. This will help to ensure that the couple’s combined income is not pushed into a higher tax bracket. Another way to avoid the marriage penalty is to take advantage of tax deductions and credits that are available to married couples. These deductions and credits can help to reduce the couple’s overall tax liability.