Generally, a married couple is better off filing jointly. If you want to contribute to a Roth IRA or deduct student loan interest, you can only do so if you file together with your spouse. Only in certain instances is filing separately preferable.

Under the most recent tax law change, you should not get hit with the marriage penalty if your combined taxable income doesn't exceed $117,250.

Even so, if you told your employer that you're married, they will take out less taxes from your salaries since the withholding tables for a married person assume that your spouse doesn't work. If you don't own a home or have other large deductions, consider claiming Single with one allowance.

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