Tax separately or jointly

If a married couple are both earning about 50K - 60K a year are they better off being tax separately or jointly?

Or does it make any difference? Thanks.

It depends on how much each earns. If both earn 25k then its irrelevant but if one earns 20k and the other 40k then they would be much better of jointly assessed.

Check out http://www.deloitte.ie/tc/

Sorry for bumping in lads but what about a couple where one is earning 32,000 and the other is earning 22,000, Are they better off jointly or individually assessed, Thanks.

Did you check for yourself on the Tax calculator?

A married couple where one party earns more than €32,800 they can allocate up to €41,800 of the standard rate band to the higher earning party.

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/leaflets/it2.html#section9

If your query as neither party earns over €32,800 there is no benefit.