Just Married? Tax Changes to Make Before Next Filing Season
Marriage is an exciting milestone — but it can also change your tax situation. The IRS recommends taking a few simple steps soon after the wedding so that filing next year's return is easier and free of surprises. Here's what newlyweds should look at now.
For expats and non-residents: if one spouse is a U.S. person and the other is a non-resident, marriage raises additional questions — such as whether to treat the non-resident spouse as a U.S. resident for tax purposes, and whether an ITIN is needed. See the CPA Tips at the end.
1. Report a Name Change
If either spouse changes their name, report it to the Social Security Administration before filing a tax return. The name on your return must match Social Security records, or your return may be delayed.
2. Update Your Address, If Needed
If either or both spouses moved, notify the post office, employers, financial institutions and the IRS. You can officially change your mailing address with the IRS by filing Form 8822, Change of Address.
3. Check Your Tax Withholding
Marriage can change how much tax you owe. Newlyweds should give their employer a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate within 10 days. If both spouses work, the combined income could push you into a higher tax bracket, or make you subject to the Additional Medicare Tax. Use the free IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to check whether the right amount is being withheld from each paycheck.
4. Review Your Filing Status
Your marital status on December 31 determines your filing options for the entire year. Married couples can file jointly or separately. Filing jointly is usually more favorable, but it's worth calculating both ways to see which is better for your situation.
5. Keep Your Tax Records Together
Combining important documents — Forms W-2, Forms 1099, and prior-year returns — makes filing easier and helps ensure all income is reported.
6. Explore Tax Credits and Deductions
Marriage can affect your eligibility for certain credits and deductions. Review the available tax benefits together before filing your return.
Official IRS Sources
- Report a name change — Social Security Administration
- Form 8822, Change of Address
- Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate
- Additional Medicare Tax — Questions and Answers
- IRS Tax Withholding Estimator
- Topic no. 157, Change your address — How to notify the IRS
- Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
CPA Tips
Marriage is a good moment to model your taxes both ways — jointly and separately — before you lock in withholding for the rest of the year. If both spouses earn similar incomes, the combined amount can move you into a higher bracket, so adjusting your W-4 early avoids an unexpected balance due at filing time.
If you married a non-resident spouse: by default, a non-resident spouse is not included on a joint U.S. return. You may elect to treat them as a U.S. resident so you can file jointly (which can lower your overall tax), but doing so subjects their worldwide income to U.S. tax. The non-resident spouse will also need an ITIN if they don't have a Social Security number. This is a decision worth reviewing with a CPA before you file.
For couples living abroad: check how the foreign earned income exclusion, foreign tax credits, and any applicable tax treaty interact with your new filing status. The right choice depends on where you live and how each spouse's income is taxed.