Who can get more tax money - married or single couple?

Take a couple with one child. Say the mother makes approx. 12,000 a year. The father about twice as much. Will an unmarried couple qualify for the bigger refund by filing seperately, or will a married couple filing a joint return get more back?Who can get more tax money - married or single couple?
It's called the marriage penalty. Commonly happens when one spouses income is significantly higher than the others. Here is the way they must file to receive the maximum refund. Mother files single and claims the children as a non-dependent for Earned Income Credit. The father files Head of household and claims the child as a dependent.


It sucks for us married folk. You would think as much ';morality'; and Christianity that the Republicans preach that they wouldn't penalize people for getting married. Instead they reward you for living together unmarried but yet ban gay marriages. Go figure!Who can get more tax money - married or single couple?
You have no option, if you are married, to file both as single. You have to file either married filing jointly, or married filing seperately.





Married filing seperately is NEVER worth it.
married
married
A married couple.
married filing joint depending on other dependents or other deductions...for example do they own property or rent
Every above is true, file as married filing jointly. However, with your income levels, you are low enough to get the Earned Income Tax Credit even with filing jointly. DO NOT file MFS.