joint tax return
Joint tax return (i.e., married filing jointly filing status) is a single tax return filed by a married couple that had married before the end of the tax year, on which they report their combined income, credits, exemptions and deductions. A couple is allowed to file a joint tax return only if the state they reside in recognizes the relationship as a legal marriage.
A couple may benefit from filing jointly as it may result in a more favorable tax bracket when one spouse earns less than another.
[Last reviewed in September of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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