{"id":8351,"date":"2025-03-27T16:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=8351"},"modified":"2025-12-11T16:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T08:47:07","slug":"i-do-tax-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/i-do-tax-returns","title":{"rendered":"Should You Get Joint Or Separate Income Tax Filing As A Couple?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people have the perception that a couple enter into a wedded bliss \u2013 the most perfect and romantic time of a couple\u2019s life together \u2013 right after their wedding.<\/p>\n

Along with its many joys, marriage brings new challenges. Like it or not, saying the words \u201cI do\u201d means committing, among other things, to making joint decisions. One such decision relates to taxes \u2013 more specifically, whether to file separate or joint tax returns.<\/p>\n

Individual or joint tax status<\/h4>\n

Choosing the appropriate filing status is a major tax decision for newlyweds. According to Section 45 of Malaysia\u2019s Income Tax Act 1967, all married couples in Malaysia have the right to choose whether to file individual or joint taxes.<\/p>\n

So, which tax status should you choose? Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but here are some facts to help married couples make an educated decision.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

As a general rule of thumb, if both husband and wife draw high incomes in the year of assessment, it is always advisable to opt for separate assessment to leverage on the tax reliefs and deductibles available.<\/p>\n

In the event of separate individual assessment with children, it will be more worthwhile to claim for child relief under the spouse with the higher income.<\/p>\n

\"Comparison<\/p>\n

The best way to find out if you should file jointly or separately with your spouse is to prepare the tax return both ways. Double check your calculations and then look at the net refund or balance due from each method.<\/p>\n

If you use e-filing<\/a> to file for your tax returns, you will be able to see the tax due for each individual and compare it with the joint assessment. This way, you will be able to see which filing status gives you the biggest tax savings.<\/p>\n

Find out everything you need to know about filing taxes in Malaysia with our personal income tax guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/div><\/div>\n
This article has been updated on March 27, 2025.<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The words \u201cI do\u201d means committing to making joint decisions. One such decision involves taxes – more specifically to file for separate or joint tax returns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[256,215],"tags":[219,303],"class_list":["post-8351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-tax","tag-bi","tag-income-tax"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKnow The Difference Between Joint And Separate Tax Assessment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The words \u201cI do\u201d means committing to making joint decisions. 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