Would it be beneficial, tax wise, for my partner and I to get married and file jointly?
Location: New York
My partner and I are not married and file our taxes separately. We have a son, who my partner claims as her dependent on her taxes. We are not homeowners, nor do we have any significant assets. She has school loans, which she deducts on her taxes. I have no deductions to tack on besides whatever the government gives me.
Before taxes, she makes $95K and I make $46K.
Both of us get money back when filing our taxes, but not much. I don't remember what she got back this year, but I got a total of $1,800.
We're not exactly looking to get married, but have been wondering if it would benefit us if we did and started filing our taxes jointly. People are constantly telling us, "you should get married. you get so many tax benefits". Can't imagine what those benefits would be.
If it wouldn't really benefit us to file jointly, would it be a better option for me to claim our son as my dependent since I make less money than her? I don't know how all this stuff works, but in my mind I would think that if you have 2 people, one making 95K and the other 46K, and those two people are responsible for a child, the person making less money would get more of a break, or push them closer to some sort of poverty line for better benefits, since they're supporting a household of 2 on less income than the other person.