Is it better to file married jointly or married filing separately? Are there any difference in returns?

This used to be a no-brainer. In about 95% of all cases, it was better to file Married Filing Jointly over Married Filing Separately.

However, now there are no hard and fast rules. You need to prepare the return both ways, because in some cases, you will pay less tax filing Married Filing Separately than filing jointly. I have several clients that I have to run "what-if" scenarios to make sure I get them the highest possible legal refund.