How to File Taxes When Engaged
- 1). Determine the date of your marriage. If you will be legally married by Dec. 31 of the tax filing year, then you can file Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.
- 2). Determine widow status. If you are not married by Dec. 31st, you had a former spouse that died during the current or previous tax year, and you have a dependent child, you can file Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child. That filing status will result in larger standard deductions, helping lower your tax liability.
- 3). Determine your household status. If you are not married by Dec. 31st, and you have a qualifying dependent that you are legally responsible for, you can file Head of Household. That filing status will result in larger standard deductions, helping lower your tax liability.
- 4). File Single. If you are not married by Dec. 31st, you are not a widow(er), and you are not legally responsible for a qualifying dependent, then you must file separately with a Single status.
