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Comment by sokoloff | Hacker News Reader

If the tax penalty is smaller than the savings from sharing a household, it's still an advantage to be married vs single and living alone.

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Well, you could be unmarried and living together.

I don't know how it is in other places, but in Vancouver, if you cohabit for a number of years, you are subject to the same stuff as if you were married couples. I can't remember the details, forgive me, busy work day.

That's called common-law marriage and it exists in California too, but it doesn't mean you start paying married tax rates. It just means that, e.g., if your partner falls terminally ill you are allowed to make medical decisions for them just as a spouse would, or if they die you take custody of the children rather than their side of the family, etc.

California most certainly does not have, and has not had for over 100 years, common law marriage. Many people think they’re fine, then are in for a horrible, rude awakening when their long term partner is either sick or dies as the title holder to assets.

Spread the word!

https://apeopleschoice.com/common-law-marriage-in-california...

You can only enter into a common law marriage very few jurisdictions in the US and certainly not in California. In jurisdictions where you can legally enter into common law marriage in the US, the couple doesn't just "get married" by cohabitation for a few years, they have to actually agree to get married and present themselves as married to others. It's very clear that they must want to be married and agree to be married. It usually requires a public decoration of marriage. (So a marriage ceremony, just without an officiate)

You can also file married income taxes if you are legally married in your state of residence. In fact, if you didn't it probably would be considered tax fraud.

A benefit, independent of marriage, which applies to those who cohabitate and roommates.

There's other financial benefits to marriage, off the top of my head:

Family health insurance plans

Unlimited tax free inheritance

Spousal social security and pension

Social security survivors benefits

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