Marriage Tax Calculator
See whether getting married raises or lowers your federal income tax — the "marriage penalty" or "marriage bonus" — by comparing two single returns against one married-filing-jointly return.
How to Use
- Enter Spouse 1’s gross annual income.
- Enter Spouse 2’s gross annual income.
- Read the headline number: a "penalty" means you pay more married than as two singles; a "bonus" means you pay less.
- Compare the "if both single" and "married filing jointly" tax figures to see where the difference comes from.
- Try a preset to see how two equal high earners differ from a single-earner household.
Show Work
Notes
About the Marriage Tax Calculator
The Marriage Tax Calculator is a free tool for personal-finance and money decisions. It runs right in your web browser, so there is nothing to download. See whether getting married raises or lowers your federal income tax — the "marriage penalty" or "marriage bonus" — by comparing two single returns against one married-filing-jointly return.
How it works
Type your numbers into the boxes. The answer shows up right away — you do not have to press a button. If you change a number, the answer changes too. So you can try different numbers and watch what happens, or check an answer you worked out yourself. Just make sure each box has the right kind of number in it.
Want the deeper story? The Knowledge Base explains the ideas behind the tools in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the marriage penalty?
A marriage penalty happens when a couple owes more federal income tax filing jointly than they would have owed as two single filers. It mostly hits couples with two similar, high incomes, because the married brackets are not exactly double the single brackets at the top. This tool compares both scenarios and shows the dollar difference.
What is the marriage bonus?
A marriage bonus is the opposite: the couple pays less tax filing jointly than as two singles. It is common when one spouse earns most or all of the income, because joint filing lets the lower brackets and the larger standard deduction absorb that income. A single-earner household almost always sees a bonus.
Why do equal high incomes trigger a penalty?
Single brackets and married-filing-jointly brackets line up at the bottom, but the top married brackets are not double the single ones. When two earners both reach those upper rates, stacking their incomes on a joint return pushes more of it into higher brackets than it would have hit on two separate single returns.
Does this include state tax or credits?
No. This estimates only federal income tax using the standard deduction and the ordinary-income brackets. It ignores state taxes, the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Credit, itemized deductions, and other adjustments — any of which can change whether you see a penalty or a bonus.
Is this tax advice?
No. This is a simplified estimate for general comparison only, not tax or financial advice. It uses approximate 2025/26 figures and the standard deduction, and it does not account for your full situation. For decisions, consult a qualified tax professional or use official IRS resources.
How do I use the Marriage Tax Calculator?
Simply type your numbers and read the result, which refreshes the instant you change something. There is nothing to submit and nothing to wait for.
Is it free? Does it work without internet?
Yes to both. It is free with no sign-up, and once the page has loaded it keeps working even with no internet.
Where does my data go?
Nowhere — every calculation runs on your own device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or stored.
Common Use Cases
Planning a wedding year
See whether tying the knot before or after year-end changes your combined federal tax.
Two-earner couples
Check how much "penalty" two similar incomes create on a joint return.
Single-earner households
Quantify the marriage bonus when one spouse earns most of the income.
Comparing filing scenarios
Put "both single" and "married filing jointly" side by side before filing.
Financial what-ifs
Model raises or job changes to see how the penalty or bonus shifts.
Last updated: