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Is a husband or wife responsible for debts incurred by the other?

That depends on the nature of the debt as well as where the couple live. If both husband and
wife have co-signed for the debt, both will be responsible for paying it. For instance, assume the
husband and wife apply together for a charge card. If both sign the application form and
promise to pay the charge bills, both will be responsible for paying off the balance to the credit
card company or store, even if only one of them made the purchases and the other
disapproved. Similarly, if a husband and wife co-sign on a mortgage for a home, both of them
are potentially liable to the mortgage company, even if one of them no longer lives in the home.
In community property states, a husband and wife may likewise be responsible for debts
incurred by the other.

Is a husband or wife liable for the debts of the other without co-signing for the debt?


That again depends on the nature of the debt and where the couple lives. Some states have
"family expense statutes" that make a husband or wife liable for expenses incurred for the benefit
of the family, even if the other spouse did not sign for or approve of the expense in advance.
Still other states impose this family expense obligation by common law without a statute. Thus, if
the wife charged groceries at a local store or took the couple's child to a doctor for care, the
husband could be liable because these are expenses for the benefit of the family. On the other
hand, if the wife runs up bills for a personal holiday or the husband buys expensive coins for his
coin collection, the other spouse normally would not be liable unless he or she co-signed for the
debt. Again, in community property states, a husband or wife is generally obligated for the debts
of the other.

Is one spouse responsible for debts the other spouse brought into the marriage?


Not in most states. In states that do not recognize community property, such debts belong to
the spouse who incurred them. But in community property states, a spouse may, under special
circumstances, become liable for the other spouse's premarital debts.


Do a spouse's credit rights depend on marital status or the other spouse's financial
status?

The law forbids denying credit on the basis of marital status


Which spouse is responsible for paying taxes?


If each spouse's name appears on a state or federal personal income tax return, both parties
signing the return are liable for the taxes. If a couple files jointly, the Internal Revenue Service
generally holds each one responsible for the entire debt. A spouse who files as Amarried filing
separately@ is not responsible for the other=s debt.


Do the tax laws penalize married couples?


That depends on the tax bracket of each person. If one has a high taxable income and the
other a relatively low taxable income, they will generally pay less income tax if they are married
and filing a joint return than they would pay if single and filing as single persons. They also will
pay less by filing a joint return than by filing separate returns (as married persons). For couples
in which both wife and husband have a high income, the total tax will be higher for those who file
jointly.
Years ago, there were stories about financially well-off married couples who would go to
the Caribbean each December, obtain a divorce, file tax returns as single persons for that year
to save money, and then remarry in the new year. Such a practice could be regarded as tax
fraud. In any case, the savings are not as great as they were in years past.


May one spouse make a tax-free gift to the other spouse?

A person may give his or her spouse any amount of money without paying federal gift taxes if
the spouse is a U.S. resident. However, it must be an outright gift or set up as a proper trust.
Most, but not all, state laws have done away with taxes on gifts between spouses. But the same
is not true with respect to gifts to other family members. Gifts to children or other relatives may
be taxable if they exceed a certain amount per year.