Dear tax expert,

Both my girlfriend and I get a job in US. I hold H1-B visa, and she holds J1 visa.
Both of our annual income will be about $35000. How much tax should we pay if we stay single or get married. Thank you very much!

Regards,

Chipeng

Chipeng:

It probably makes more sense to stay single. The standard deduction is the same either way, as are the tax rates.

Filing single gives you access to more tax benefits than filing Married Filing Separately. If you file Marrued Filing Jointly, your then-spouse may lose some benefits associated with her J-1 visa status.