joint tax return
Joint tax return (i.e., married filing jointly filing status) is a single tax return filed by a married couple that had married before the end of the tax year, on which they report their combined income , credits , exemptions and deductions . A couple is allowed to file a joint tax return only if the state they reside in recognizes the relationship as a legal marriage .
[Last reviewed in June of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team ]