Newlyweds filing jointly for the first time
Two incomes, one return. Combining W-2s, choosing Married Filing Jointly, and the basics of a first joint return.
Taxpayer facts
Who this is and what their year looked like.
Aaron and Bethany got married in 2025 and are filing their first joint return, from Plano, Texas. Both work full time and neither has dependents yet.
They each have one W-2, no other income, and no special deductions. They take the standard deduction.
- Filing statusMarried filing jointly
- TaxpayerAaron J. Cole
- Taxpayer DOB / SSN02/14/1997 · 462-55-1290
- Taxpayer occupationLogistics coordinator
- SpouseBethany R. Cole
- Spouse DOB / SSN08/03/1998 · 465-21-7734
- Spouse occupationTeacher
- Ages (as of 12/31/2025)28 and 27
- DependentsNone
- Address2408 Legacy Dr, Apt 214, Plano, TX 75023
- ResidencyTexas, full year (no state income tax)
Source documents
Work from these the way you would a real client's paperwork. Everything is fictional.
Objectives
What a correct return should capture.
- Choose the Married Filing Jointly status now that they're married as of December 31.
- Combine both W-2s and report the total wages on Form 1040, line 1a.
- Apply the 2025 MFJ standard deduction ($31,500).
- Look up the tax from the tax tables.
- Add the couple's two federal withholdings and reconcile to the refund.
- Note that Texas has no state income tax, so there is no state return here.
Check your work
Prepare the return in your software first. Reveal the key only to compare.
Answer keyTry the return first, then check your work.
- Aaron's wages$38,500
- Bethany's wages$41,200
- Total wages$79,700
- Adjusted gross income$79,700
- Standard deduction (MFJ, 2025)$31,500
- Taxable income$48,200
- Tax (from tax tables)$5,310
- Combined federal withholding$6,500
- Refund$1,190
Marital status is set as of December 31, so a couple married any time in 2025 files as married for the whole year. They simply add their two W-2s and their two withholdings. The 2025 MFJ standard deduction is $31,500. Texas has no state income tax. 2025 amounts; tax is from the tax tables, so software may differ by a dollar or two.
The completed return
Every page a real client gets: the 1040 and its schedules, the workpapers behind every number, and the signature forms. Free with an account.
Stuck? Work through it with Yehuda
A one-on-one, 30-minute tutoring session on this return with Yehuda Tenenbaum, EA. Bring the spot where you got stuck and we will work through it together: how the forms connect, why a figure lands where it does, and how to check your work. $250. This is education on the practice return, not advice on your own taxes.