Which TurboTax Does a Married Couple Filing Jointly Need?
Heads up: InstallTurboTax.us is an independent, taxpayer-friendly help site. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit Inc. or TurboTax®, and we are here only to make your tax software easier to use. Always verify pricing and features on the official TurboTax site. Full disclaimer.
When you're married, you'll usually choose between filing jointly or separately, and for most couples filing jointly leads to a lower combined tax. A joint return puts both spouses' income, withholding, deductions, and credits on one form. If you both have W-2 jobs, take the standard deduction, and don't have other complications, your joint return can be quite simple, just two sets of wages instead of one.
The edition you need depends less on being married and more on what's in your combined financial life. A couple with only W-2 income is different from a couple where one spouse is self-employed, owns rentals, or has a busy brokerage account. Marriage can also shift you across income thresholds for certain credits and deductions, which the software accounts for automatically.
TurboTax Deluxe (Online)
Deluxe is a solid default for many married couples. It combines two incomes easily, maximizes your deductions and credits, and handles itemizing if your combined mortgage interest, taxes, and giving beat the standard deduction. If your joint situation is very simple with only W-2 income, Free Edition may do the job, while couples with investments or self-employment will want Premium.
Alternatives to consider
Jointly or separately?
Most couples save money filing jointly because joint filers qualify for more credits and more favorable brackets. Filing separately occasionally makes sense, say with large medical expenses tied to one spouse or to keep finances separate, but it shuts you out of several credits. If you're not sure, TurboTax can help you compare, and Deluxe's guidance points out which path tends to help.
Watch the income thresholds
Combining incomes can push you over the limits for certain deductions and credits, or change how much of a benefit you receive. This isn't a penalty for being married so much as a feature of how the brackets work. The software applies the correct thresholds for joint filers automatically, so you don't have to keep track of which limits changed.
Frequently asked questions
Should we file jointly or separately?＋
Most couples pay less filing jointly, but there are exceptions. TurboTax can help you compare outcomes so you choose the option that gives you the lower combined tax for your situation.
We both have jobs. Does that need a higher edition?＋
Not on its own. Two W-2 incomes still fit in Free Edition or Deluxe depending on whether you itemize. The edition comes down to your overall situation, not the number of jobs.
One of us is self-employed. What changes?＋
Self-employment income calls for an edition that supports Schedule C, which means Premium for online filing. The joint return still combines both spouses, but the self-employment side drives the edition choice.
Was this page helpful?
Comments
Loading comments…
Join the discussion
Sign in with your email to leave a comment. Comments appear after approval.