Filing statuses: What they are and how to choose one for your taxes

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A taxpayer’s filing status is primarily determined by marital status and whether or not they have dependents

(Image credit: Pakin Songmor / Getty Images)

Tax filing can necessitate a lot of lingo and decisions that feel high-stakes. One of the first choices you have to face when you go to do your taxes is what tax filing status to use. This will determine what tax brackets apply to you and, as a result, how much you pay in taxes. It also influences the tax credits and deductions you can claim.

Sometimes your tax filing status is obvious, such as if you are single with no dependents. But in other cases, it is less clear what filing status to select. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) even says “filing with the wrong tax status is one of the most common errors that a taxpayer can make,” said U.S. News & World Report.

What is a tax filing status?

Your tax filing status is the category under which you file your taxes and it “informs the IRS about you and your tax situation,” said H&R Block. The status you choose has a number of implications, including whether you need to file a return, which tax brackets apply to you, what your standard deduction amount is and whether you can claim certain tax deductions.

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A taxpayer’s filing status is primarily determined by marital status, though whether or not they have any dependents also has a bearing, among other factors.

What are the different tax filing statuses, and who are they for?

There are five tax filing statuses:

Single: This is a “taxpayer who is unmarried, divorced, a registered domestic partner or legally separated according to state law as of the last day of the tax year,” and who does not qualify for head of household (see below) and is not widowed, said Investopedia.

Head of household: To claim this status, a taxpayer must be unmarried and have “paid more than half the cost to keep up a home for the year and provided most or all the support for at least one other person for more than half the year,” said NerdWallet.

Married filing jointly: This option is for married couples who want to file together, allowing them to combine “both spouses’ income, deductions and credits on a single tax return” while sharing “joint responsibility for the tax,” said Forbes. The status is also available to those whose spouse died during the year.

Married filing separately: While filing jointly is generally most advantageous for married couples, they can also opt to file two separate returns. “There are situations where filing separately makes sense — often involving separate debts, significant medical expenses or uneven income,” or if student loan repayment plans are under consideration, said Forbes.

Surviving spouse: Those who have lost their spouse in the last two years and have a dependent child may select this filing status, after that first year when they can still choose to file as married filing jointly. “This filing status is unique in that you are entitled to the joint return tax rates and the highest standard deduction amount even though you’re no longer filing a joint return,” said Bankrate.

Which tax filing status should you use?

You do not necessarily have to make the choice yourself: “If you’re not sure which status to use, the IRS has a ‘What is my filing status?’ tool that lets you input your information to help you determine which one to choose,” said NerdWallet. Or, you can always consult a tax professional.

It probably feels more complicated than it really is. Although “it may seem as though there are multiple tax filing statuses to choose from,” typically, “most people will be deciding between two options, at most,” said Bankrate. When weighing one or the other, assess which option will result in you owing the least amount in taxes, while also assessing the legwork involved in switching over from one status to another.

Becca Stanek has worked as an editor and writer in the personal finance space since 2017. She previously served as a deputy editor and later a managing editor overseeing investing and savings content at LendingTree and as an editor at the financial startup SmartAsset, where she focused on retirement- and financial-adviser-related content. Before that, Becca was a staff writer at The Week, primarily contributing to Speed Reads.