Am I not understanding this correctly? I was just browsing the 2022 tax brackets and found it terrible that in the 35% and 37% bracket married couples are taxed far more harshly than those who are single. 

Bracket / Single / Married Filing Jointly

35%	$215,950 to $539,900	$431,900 to $647,850
37%	$539,900 or more	$647,850 or more

So two people who live together and share a life together, but are not married can make $1,079,7999 together and not enter the 37% tax bracket. Yet at $647,850 a married couple enters the 37% tax bracket? Is that correct?

What does that say about this administration and the democratic party? Any thoughts on why this is happening?

The marriage penalty isn't something new from this administration; it's been around for decades at least.

Or have all the previous policies punished single filers?  Up until the 35% tax bracket, everything is pretty even at double the single rate.   Marriage penalty isn't really new, but lots of shit punishes those who choose not to marry.   

37 minutes ago, SocialD said:

Or have all the previous policies punished single filers?  Up until the 35% tax bracket, everything is pretty even at double the single rate.   Marriage penalty isn't really new, but lots of shit punishes those who choose not to marry.   

I've mentioned this before. I don't know I but have the conversation with my brother-in-law (wife's brother) frequently about a friend of his who's a multimillionaire who never married and never had children. We decided the guy's a genius. Brother-in-law is on his 3rd wife and I admit we definitely don't have this conversation with either spouse around. 😁

7 hours ago, VMFA187 said:

Am I not understanding this correctly? I was just browsing the 2022 tax brackets and found it terrible that in the 35% and 37% bracket married couples are taxed far more harshly than those who are single. 

Bracket / Single / Married Filing Jointly

35%	$215,950 to $539,900	$431,900 to $647,850
37%	$539,900 or more	$647,850 or more

So two people who live together and share a life together, but are not married can make $1,079,7999 together and not enter the 37% tax bracket. Yet at $647,850 a married couple enters the 37% tax bracket? Is that correct?

What does that say about this administration and the democratic party? Any thoughts on why this is happening?

Yeah, not to be a jerk, but you're not understanding it correctly.

Married people are the benefactors in our current tax paradigm because they can make more income subject to a lower tax rate. i.e. a single person starts paying 35% as soon as they trip $216K. A married couple doesn't pay 35% until they make double that. The benefit to filing jointly is that it allows a couple with basically one bread winner to pay less taxes. If a married couple so chose (as some may because they are equal earners, etc), they could both file as single people and avoid the so-called penalty which you identify.

Bottom line, a married couple can choose whichever path suits them best. No such choice is available for someone who's not married.

Also, this is really how it has always been, under Rs or Ds.

On 12/3/2021 at 3:15 PM, ViperMan said:

Yeah, not to be a jerk, but you're not understanding it correctly.

Married people are the benefactors in our current tax paradigm because they can make more income subject to a lower tax rate. i.e. a single person starts paying 35% as soon as they trip $216K. A married couple doesn't pay 35% until they make double that. The benefit to filing jointly is that it allows a couple with basically one bread winner to pay less taxes. If a married couple so chose (as some may because they are equal earners, etc), they could both file as single people and avoid the so-called penalty which you identify.

Bottom line, a married couple can choose whichever path suits them best. No such choice is available for someone who's not married.

Also, this is really how it has always been, under Rs or Ds.

Got it. Thanks dude. 

Democrats are punishing America