Yes, this is done with a lot of couples these days.
You can file your federal taxes jointly if you are married. Even if your spouse is unemployed, filing jointly means he or she is still responsible for any outstanding taxes due should you not pay.
You can get the answers at 4socialsecuritydisability.com. Their answer is that your disability benefits might be taxable IF you, or you and your spouse if filing jointly, have enough income to require paying taxes.
File seperatley, not jointly..both Fed & State
If you have a spouse, you may file a joint tax return with your spouse whether or not you have any taxable income yourself. In virtually all cases, filing jointly results in paying less combined tax than being married filing separately. And not filing jointly could make your wife ineligible for certain tax breaks like the Earned Income Credit or a Roth IRA contribution.
I don't think you can file jointly with a non spouse, however if one of you is not working, can be a dependent of the other.
Yes, the election to file seperatley or jointly is yours and able to be made each year.
No you do not have to file unless someone is claiming you as a dependent. Then file jointly with them.
I suggest not filing a joint return. Using the Married Filing Separately filing status will not allow you to claim some tax benefits and you won't have the benefits of combining your income, but it will save you if your spouse is audited. If you file jointly, you will be fully responsible for the taxes on the omitted income. Filing a joint return creates something called "joint & several liability" which means you are both responsible for the entire tax liability, even if it's later adjusted because one spouse omitted income or committed tax evasion. Read IRS Publication 971 to find out the difficulty of not being held responsible for your spouse's actions. That's why I recommend not filing a joint return with your spouse. The benefits will not be worth the cost if they are caught evading taxes.
The estate is responsible for all debts, including taxes. The spouse benefited from the income.
Usually both parties are responsible for tax debts during the marriage. A spouse might not be responsible for taxes owed before the marriage.
Married taxpayers have the option of submitting separate or joint tax returns. The married filing jointly option lowers your tax obligation more than filing separately. Your standard deductions for this filing status are generally higher. You may also be eligible for tax benefits that aren't allowed for other filing categories. This filing status is usually best when one spouse's income is significantly higher than the other spouse's income. If both individuals work and qualify for large itemized deductions, it can be beneficial to file separately. Each taxpayer must determine the best option for their situation. Tax laws can be very complicated. You should contact an experienced tax professional for advice for assistance filing your taxes. To qualify for this filing status, you must be legally married prior to the end of the year. The couple must agree to jointly file and sign the income tax return that includes all income, deductions and credits. Your signature indicates that you each accept responsibility for the thoroughness and accuracy of the document. This means that the IRS can hold both spouses individually or jointly responsible for taxes, interest and penalties due on the joint return. These means that one spouse can be held liable for all the taxes even if the other spouse was the one who earned the income and understated the taxes. The agency can release you from this tax liability if you had no knowledge of the error and did not materially benefit from the mistake. Check with a professional tax preparer for more information on equitable relief, separation of liability or innocent spouse relief. The IRS permits you to file one last joint return for the year in which your spouse died. According to the IRS, you are considered married the entire year. In subsequent years, you are allowed to file as a single taxpayer, head of household or surviving spouse. The benefit of filing a separate return is that you are not jointly liable for your spouse's taxes. It is generally more beneficial for taxpayers to file jointly.
On your MFJ income tax return you do not have a choice about claiming your spouse. Your spouse would not be claimed as a dependent exemption on your MFJ income tax return. You have one exemption for each spouse on the MFJ income tax return and all gross worldwide income is combined on the married filing joint income tax return.