joint return

A tax return filed on behalf of both the husband and wife, resulting in a combined tax liability.

Investopedia Says:
In most cases, filing a joint return results in a lower tax liability than filing separately would.

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Tax return filed by two people, usually a married couple. Both parties must sign the return, and they are equally responsible for paying the taxes due. Thus if one party does not pay the taxes, the IRS can come after the other party to make the required payment. Because of the way the tax tables are designed, it is frequently more advantageous for a married couple to file a joint return than for them to file separate returns. See also Filing Status; Head of Household; Marriage Penalty.

Tax return filed by a husband and wife, setting forth tax information concerning each of them, and computing a combined tax liability. Taxable income is calculated with progressive rates based on the assumption that the couple's income is earned equally by the two spouses. A husband and wife can also file separate returns, and the total tax liability may differ from that of a joint return for the same two people. Typically, the joint return provides a lower total tax than do separate returns.

Income tax return that effectively provides that income earned by a husband and wife will be treated as though it had been earned by both equally. This is allowed even though one spouse may not have income or deductions. A joint return usually provides a favorable tax effect compared to the filing of a non-joint return.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a return filed by a husband and wife