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Salary After Tax · Updated June 2026

Married to a Non-Resident Alien: US Tax Calculator

Marrying a non-US person creates the expat's best filing election: Married Filing Separately (default – spouse stays outside the US system entirely) versus electing to treat the spouse as a US resident (joint rates and credits, but their worldwide income and accounts enter the net).

MFS keeps the $132,900 FEIE, protects the spouse's income and privacy, but halves some thresholds (NIIT at $125k) and blocks certain credits. The §6013(g) election buys MFJ brackets and the full standard deduction at the price of lifetime-until-revoked worldwide reporting for the spouse.

Salary after tax calculator · 2026

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Where every dollar goes

    2026 rules: federal brackets, $16,100/$32,200 standard deductions, $184,500 SS wage base. Hourly figures assume 40 h/week × 52. Non-US figures are planning estimates incl. employee social charges.

    Key insights

    Key insights

    • Default MFS keeps the NRA spouse fully outside US tax.
    • §6013(g) election: MFJ benefits, worldwide spouse reporting.
    • Revoking the election is once-per-lifetime.
    • HoH with a qualifying child beats MFS for many parents.
    • MFS halves NIIT/IRA thresholds – check before assuming.

    Choosing the filing posture

    Stay MFS when: the spouse has meaningful income/assets (keeping them out dominates), or privacy/banking concerns rule. Elect §6013(g) when: the spouse has little income and the MFJ bracket/deduction gains are large – common for single-earner couples; the election is once-per-lifetime to revoke.

    Logistics: MFS with an NRA spouse writes "NRA" for the spouse's TIN; e-file support varies. Head of Household is available with a qualifying child despite marriage – often the best of both worlds for expat parents.

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    Does my foreign spouse have to file US taxes?

    Not by default – an NRA spouse with no US income stays entirely outside the system when you file MFS (or HoH with a qualifying dependant).

    Should we elect joint filing?

    Only when the spouse's income/assets are modest and the MFJ math wins clearly – the election drags their worldwide income and accounts into US reporting until revoked (once, ever).

    Can I claim Head of Household while married?

    Yes – with an NRA spouse and a qualifying child/dependant, HoH is allowed and usually beats MFS on rates and deduction.

    Do joint accounts trigger FBAR for my spouse?

    Your FBAR covers accounts you co-own or control; a non-electing NRA spouse's separate accounts stay out. Joint accounts: report your interest.

    How do gifts between us work?

    Gifts to a non-citizen spouse have an annual exclusion (~$190k in 2026, indexed) instead of the unlimited marital deduction – plan large transfers across years.

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