See if getting married increases or decreases your tax bill. Compare filing single vs married jointly using 2024 tax brackets.
Penalty: When two similar incomes are combined. The 22%–37% tax brackets for married couples are NOT simply double the single brackets — creating a "marriage penalty" for dual-income couples.
Bonus: When one spouse earns significantly more than the other. The higher earner benefits from being bumped into lower brackets on their partner's income portion.
SALT deduction: Married couples share a $10,000 SALT cap, vs. $10,000 each if filing single. This can magnify the penalty for high-tax-state couples.