Marriage usually lowers your refund, not raises it

Getting married does not automatically give you a bigger tax refund. In fact, most married couples find their combined refund is smaller than what they would have received filing separately — or they owe money instead. This happens because marriage changes your tax bracket (the percentage of income you owe in tax) and the standard deduction (the amount you can earn tax-free). The direction your refund moves depends on how much each person earns and whether one spouse earns significantly more than the other.

The IRS treats married couples filing jointly as a single tax unit. That means your combined household income determines your tax rate, not each person's income alone. If one spouse earns much more than the other, the higher earner's income gets taxed at a higher rate than it would have if they filed alone — a situation called marriage penalty. If both spouses earn similar amounts, or if one earns very little, you may see a marriage bonus instead, where your combined tax is lower.

Key Takeaways

  • Marriage changes your tax bracket and standard deduction, which usually shrinks your refund compared to filing single.
  • A marriage penalty occurs when one spouse earns significantly more than the other, pushing that income into a higher tax rate.
  • A marriage bonus can occur when both spouses earn similar moderate amounts, or when one spouse earns very little.
  • Your refund also depends on how much tax you had withheld from paychecks during the year, which you can adjust on your W-4 form.
  • Running a tax scenario for your specific income amounts is the only way to know whether marriage will increase or decrease your refund.

How the standard deduction changes when you marry

The standard deduction is the amount of income you can earn without owing any federal income tax. When you file single, the standard deduction is one amount. When you file married filing jointly, the standard deduction is higher — roughly 1.9 times the single amount — but it does not double.

This means that if you and your spouse together earn $80,000, you can deduct more than either of you could alone, but the deduction does not cover as much of your combined income. The gap between what you can deduct and what you actually earn determines how much income is taxable. A smaller deduction relative to your income means more of your income is subject to tax, which can shrink your refund.

The standard deduction amounts change each year. For the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025), the married filing jointly standard deduction is higher than the single deduction, but the exact amounts depend on your age and whether either spouse is blind. The IRS publishes these amounts on their website each January.

When one spouse earns much more than the other

If one spouse earns $120,000 and the other earns $15,000, the higher earner's income gets taxed at a steeper rate when you file jointly than it would if they filed alone. This is the marriage penalty. The IRS tax brackets are not designed to be perfectly fair when two incomes combine — they assume a single earner or two earners with similar income.

In a marriage penalty situation, your combined refund will be smaller than the sum of what you would each receive filing separately. Some couples in this position choose to file married filing separately instead, though that route has its own drawbacks: you lose access to certain credits, and the tax brackets for married filing separately are even steeper. Running the numbers both ways with a tax calculator or tax software will show you which filing status gives you the better result.

When both spouses earn similar amounts or one earns very little

If both spouses earn roughly the same amount, or if one spouse earns very little, you may see a marriage bonus. The tax brackets and standard deduction are designed to be more favorable in these situations. Your combined refund could be larger than what you would each receive filing single, or you might owe less.

A spouse who earns under the standard deduction threshold (roughly $14,600 for 2024, though this changes yearly) owes no federal income tax on that income at all. When that spouse's income is combined with the other spouse's on a joint return, it does not push the higher earner's income into a higher tax bracket — it just sits below the deduction threshold. This can result in a smaller overall tax bill and a larger refund.

Your withholding matters more than your filing status

Whether you get a refund at all — and how large it is — depends mostly on how much tax your employers withheld from your paychecks during the year. When you marry, your withholding situation may change. If you both work and both had taxes withheld as single filers, your combined withholding might be too high or too low for your new married status.

You control your withholding by filling out a W-4 form with your employer. When you marry, you should submit a new W-4 to each employer, or to your main employer if only one of you works. The W-4 asks about your filing status, number of jobs, and spouse's income. Using this information, your employer calculates how much tax to withhold from each paycheck.

If you do not update your W-4 after marriage, you might have too much withheld (resulting in a large refund) or too little (resulting in owing money). Updating your W-4 to reflect your married status and combined household situation helps may support the right amount is withheld throughout the year, which means a smaller refund — but also no surprise tax bill in April.

Running the numbers for your situation

The only way to know whether marriage will increase or decrease your refund is to calculate your taxes both ways: as if you were still single, and as married filing jointly. Tax software like TurboTax, H&R Block, or the IRS Free File options let you run these scenarios before you file.

You will need your 2024 W-2 forms (or 1099s if you are self-employed), any interest or dividend statements, and information about deductions or credits you plan to claim. Enter your information once, then change your filing status to "single" and run the calculation, then change it to "married filing jointly" and run it again. The difference between the two results shows you the marriage penalty or bonus in your specific case.

If the numbers are close, filing jointly is usually simpler and gives you access to more credits. If there is a significant penalty, you might explore married filing separately, though this is rare and usually only worth it in high-income situations with substantial investment income.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I automatically get a bigger refund if I get married?

No. Most married couples see a smaller refund than they would filing separately, because the tax brackets and standard deduction do not scale perfectly for two combined incomes. Whether your refund grows, shrinks, or disappears depends on how much each spouse earns and how much tax was withheld from paychecks during the year.

What is the marriage penalty?

The marriage penalty occurs when one spouse earns significantly more than the other. The higher earner's income gets taxed at a steeper rate on a joint return than it would if they filed alone. This results in a smaller combined refund or a larger tax bill than if each person filed separately.

Can I file married filing separately to get a bigger refund?

You can file separately, and in rare cases it results in a smaller total tax bill. However, married filing separately disqualifies you from many credits and uses steeper tax brackets, so it usually costs more overall. Run the numbers both ways using tax software before deciding.

When should I update my W-4 after getting married?

Update your W-4 as soon as possible after marriage, ideally within a few weeks. Submit a new W-4 to your employer (or both employers if you both work) so your withholding reflects your married status and combined household income. This prevents over-withholding or under-withholding throughout the year.

Does marriage affect tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit?

Yes. Some credits have different income limits for married filing jointly than for single filers, and some credits require both spouses to meet certain conditions. The Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and education credits all have rules specific to married couples. Tax software will calculate which credits you can claim based on your filing status and income.