How married filing separately could affect Trump's tax breaks this season

Every year, married couples decide whether to file taxes jointly or separately . That choice could impact their 2025 taxes in new ways amid changes enacted via President Donald Trump 's " big beautiful bill ." Generally, the tax code favors the married filing jointly status, which combines a couple's income, credits and deductions onto a single return. By comparison, married filing separately creates two returns with each spouse's allocation for earnings and tax breaks. "We've seen a handful of cases where married filing separately makes sense," said financial planner Gregory Guenther, owner of Grantvest Financial Group in Matawan, N.J. "But it's usually a very specific, numbers-driven decision rather than a broad strategy." More from Women and Wealth: Expecting to fight about money with your partner? You might be wrong: study Belle Burden's 'Strangers' highlights key financial red flags for women Single women see homeownership as 'a wealth-building tool,' economist says More women pursue skilled trades — here's what some said about their experience Older women may inherit most of $54 trillion in spousal 'great wealth transfer' Couples often miss this 'overlooked tax break' for retirement savers: CFP Women and the K-shaped economy: Lower pay, affordability issues reduce spending During tax year 2023, more than 55.5 million couples opted for married filing jointly compared to about 4.1 million who filed separately, according to the latest IRS data. Typically, joint filers pay less income taxes due to wider tax brackets , which means couples can earn more before reaching the next tier. There's also a higher standard deduction, worth $31,500 for married couples filing jointly, compared to $15,750 for filing separately for 2025. The downsides of filing separately Filing separately can bring "unintended consequences," according to Lawrence Pon, a certified financial planner with advisory firm Pon & Associates in Redwood City, Calif. For example, couples lose eligibility ...