Once you’re married, you and your spouse probably live under the same roof and share most of the expenses, so it makes sense that you should be able to share taxes, too, right? The government does allow married couples this option: you and your spouse can choose to file joint or separate tax returns. If you file a joint tax return, the government basically taxes the two of you as one person, lumping your incomes and tax deductions together; if you file separately, you’re taxed in much the same way you both were when you were single.

Why does the government give you the option to file separately? Although filing a joint tax return usually means you and your spouse pay less in taxes, this isn’t always the case. The problem is tax deductions due to theft, casualty losses, or medical expenses: in order to earn a tax break for these and similar catastrophes, you usually have to have lost or been charged for a certain percent of your income (usually 10% for casualty losses and around 7.5% for medical expenses). If you file jointly, your income is higher, so it’s harder to reach the benchmark that would let you qualify for those deductions. It’s a matter of considering both options and figuring out which one saves you more money.