There are implications of marriage that you may not be aware of while planning a wedding.This two part series will cover both practical considerations as well as the technical aspects of how marriage will affect tax planning.
Here are some important steps to consider if you are in the planning process or were recently married:
- Don’t forget to report your name change to the Social Security Administration (visit ssa.gov for instructions). Your name and Social Security number on your tax return must match Social Security Administration records
- Complete a new form W-4 to give to your employer. The taxes that need to be withheld from your pay may need to be adjusted to reflect your change in marital status, especially if your spouse also works (if you’re not sure if or how these need to be adjusted, let us know, we can help with that!)
- Inform the IRS if your address changes by sending a Form 8822, Change of Address. Additionally, don’t forgot to notify the US Postal Service of the change
- Report changes in status to the Health Insurance Marketplace if you have a Marketplace plan and receive advance payments of the premium assistance credit
- Choose your tax filing status. Your marital status on December 31 determines whether you are considered married for that year, and married couples can choose to file their tax return jointly or separately. The determination of which filing status to use depends on your personal circumstances
Stay tuned for Part II, in which we’ll look into different situations that may lead to increases or decreases to your tax liability due to marriage!