<prompt> Human: Basically I spent so much on my business last year that I wont have to pay taxes this year, but my wife works at a different company in town and shell have to take the standard deduction. Should we file jointly, should we file separately? Or some other method?  <response>: You are confusing business expenses reported on Schedule C for self-employment income with personal deductions reported on Schedule A. These are not mutually exclusive. It is almost always better to file jointly, but if you wish you can run the numbers filing separately to see which is better. If you are married and living together, those are your only filing options. 