Filing a joint tax return with your spouse is one of those tax solutions that can translate into significant savings. In some cases, this can amount to several thousand złoty per year, or even several dozen thousand złoty. Therefore, it's worth knowing when such a return actually pays off and how it works.
When is a joint settlement most beneficial?
Filing jointly is most often beneficial when one spouse earns significantly less, or one spouse has no income at all. The greater the difference in income, the greater the potential tax impact.
Why does filing jointly reduce tax?
The joint settlement mechanism is as follows:
- the income of both spouses is added up,
- then they are divided in half,
- tax is calculated from half of this amount according to the tax scale,
- and finally the calculated tax is multiplied by two.
This often allows you to avoid the 32% tax bracket, which translates into real savings. In practice, filing jointly can mean even several thousand złoty less in tax.
An important change – getting married during the year is no longer an exception
Importantly, the regulations have recently become more flexible. You don't have to be married for the entire tax year. It's enough that you are married and share joint property at the end of the tax year.
This is a big change. It means that if you got married during the year, you can still file jointly for the entire tax year.
When is joint settlement not possible?
There are exceptions, however. Joint filing is not available if at least one spouse is filing:
- flat tax,
- lump sum,
- or tax card.
In such cases, joint settlement according to the tax scale is not available.
Summary
Filing a joint return with your spouse is a solution that can significantly reduce your tax bill, especially if there is a large difference in income, and is currently also available to couples who got married during the year.
Have any questions or want to see if filing a joint return is actually worthwhile for you? Contact us – we'll be happy to help you calculate and evaluate it.
