Posts tagged innocent spouse relief.
Married couples may file a joint federal income tax return together, reporting their joint income and expenses. The benefit of a joint return is that the overall tax rate may often be lower. However, if a joint return is filed, each of the spouses is fully and individually liable for all taxes that are required to be paid.
Married couples may also elect, instead, to separately file their own returns. The downside is the tax rate for each separately-filing spouse may be higher, but each spouse is only liable for his or her own taxes - and not the taxes of the other spouse.
If a joint tax return is ...