Does getting married cut your tax bill? The 2026 numbers
Filing jointly is worth thousands at some income combinations and costs money at others. Where the line falls in 2026.
Filing jointly gives a couple double the single standard deduction and brackets that are exactly twice as wide — up to the 32% band. Above that the joint brackets stop doubling, which is where the so-called marriage penalty appears.
A positive figure below means marriage saves federal income tax; a negative figure means it costs. This is federal income tax only — FICA is unaffected by filing status, and state rules vary.
Marriage bonus or penalty, 2026 federal income tax
| Earner A | Earner B | Tax if both single | Tax if joint | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $0 | $3,820 | $1,780 | +$2,040 |
| $50,000 | $50,000 | $7,640 | $7,640 | +$0 |
| $75,000 | $25,000 | $8,560 | $7,640 | +$920 |
| $75,000 | $75,000 | $15,340 | $15,340 | +$0 |
| $100,000 | $50,000 | $16,990 | $15,340 | +$1,650 |
| $150,000 | $0 | $24,734 | $15,340 | +$9,394 |
| $150,000 | $150,000 | $49,468 | $49,468 | +$0 |
| $300,000 | $300,000 | $136,269 | $136,269 | +$0 |
The pattern
The bonus is largest when one partner earns much more than the other, because joint filing effectively averages the two incomes across wider brackets. When both earn roughly the same, the bonus shrinks toward nothing — and at high, evenly matched incomes it turns into a penalty, since the top joint brackets are narrower than two singles combined.