Tax Return

• If you file your taxes correctly and in accordance with the law, your tax return is the easiest way to determine what you and your spouse owe the IRS. Whether you have a simple return or a complicated one, all a tax return is essentially is a list of your income, your allowable deductions and credits, and any tax you have already paid. At the end of your return, no matter which tax form you use, a line will show you whether you are due a refund or if you still owe the IRS money. If you file a joint return, this line should show how much you and your spouse owe the IRS, if anything. If you file separate returns, you will each have a refund or liability amount that you can combine if you want to determine your joint tax situation.
  
  

Tax Account Statement

• While your tax return is a good starting point to determine your tax liability, this amount can change over the course of the year as you make payments or the IRS assesses penalties or interest. To determine your current liability, you can ask the IRS for a statement of your account, either online or at 800-908-9946. The IRS will mail you out a hard copy of your tax account for free, and it will show all of the assessments and payments made on your account. You also can ask the IRS employee handling your phone call what the current amount you owe is.
  
  

IRS Letters

• If you do not pay your taxes on time, the IRS will contact you in the form of a letter. Although this is generally not the best way to determine the tax liability of you and your spouse, it will be an up-to-date accounting of what you owe the IRS. If you don't pay your taxes on time, the IRS will assess penalties and interest until you pay your taxes in full, so by the time you get an IRS letter, your liability will generally be higher than what you may have calculated on your tax return.
  
  

Tax Brackets

• Unfortunately, determining the tax liability you and your spouse owe the IRS is not a one-time affair. Every year that you earn taxable income of a sufficient amount you must file a return with the IRS and calculate your taxes all over again. To get a good determination of what you and your spouse will owe the IRS in the next tax year, you can use tax software or a tax calculator based on current tax brackets to help you calculate your taxes as you earn your income. If you plan ahead over the course of the year and calculate the amount you owe the IRS, the final amount you have to pay on April 15 may not come as such a shock.