As a married couple, you probably share almost everything. But is that such a good idea when it comes to filing taxes?
Most couples file their return jointly, combining incomes and sharing deductions. That trend will probably continue, encouraged in large part by tax-law changes during the last few years to ease the marriage penalty. This filing phenomenon tended to show up when working spouses made roughly equal incomes; in many cases they paid more taxes on their combined return than did unmarried couples filing separate returns as single taxpayers, forcing the married pair to face a tax penalty. Tweaks to the tax brackets have helped ease this problem.
But sometimes it pays for couples to re-examine how they file. There definitely are instances when filing separately might be warranted.