<prompt> Human: We got married in May. My wife has a lot of student debt as well as a loan repayment program, both of which complicate her tax filing.Under what circumstances would we want to file jointly? I typically get a nice tax return and Id like to keep that separate from her stuff. If we file jointly Im not sure how that affects anything.I usually just use turbotax and I think if we file jointly we would need to hire someone to help us due to the added complexities of her stuff.Im not sure what more detail is needed so let me know if more info is needed.UPDATE: like 99 sure its not an income based repayment plan. We are going to look into filing jointly as that seems the most beneficial and compare it to filing separate still to ensure we get the best result. Thanks for the help!  <response>: My husband and I filed separately for a few years and it was like filing single but worse; I couldnt deduct any of my educational expenses and I owed tax for the first time ever. Like you, I was concerned about some debt that he had incurred before we were married.Last year I filed joint and used Turbotax. Turbotax allows you to add Federal form 8379 Injured Spouse Allocation to your return. This form is to request that the IRS not use your portion of the tax refund to pay any outstanding debt incurred by your spouse things like child support, past due student loans, federal restitution, etc.If you file the federal 8379 you have to file the state one too. I had to do this via snail mail. I cant remember if it was Turbotax that couldnt do that one electronically or if my state couldnt accept it electronically. So I completed the form and mailed it in with a copy of my finished state return.This probably sounds like a lot of work but its easy once you understand how to do it. For me, a little extra work is worth it for the benefits that come with filing jointly. 