Marriage Tax Shield
For couples at any stage of the marriage lifecycle
Your tax return may reveal financial risks your
relationship hasn't discussed yet.
Marriage and divorce change your tax rate, your IRS exposure, your child credits,
your business income treatment, your home-sale math, and your retirement
accounts. Most couples find out the hard way — at audit, at refinance, at the divorce table. The Marriage Tax Shield Risk Scan catches the issues now, while you can still
do something about them.
Built and reviewed by Busayo Ogunsanya, CPA, MST. Former EY, KKR, J.P. Morgan.
Who this is for
PRE-MARRIAGE
Engaged couples planning the financial side of marriage
SECOND MARRIAGE
People remarrying with kids, prior obligations, or significant assets
HIGH-INCOME
Physicians, founders, executives, K-1
partners
BUSINESS OWNERS
Schedule C, S-corp, partnership, or rental property income
PRENUP
Couples drafting a prenup who want the tax mechanics right
PRE-DIVORCE
Considering or beginning a separation
MID-DIVORCE
Negotiating a settlement and want the tax view alongside their attorney
POST-DIVORCE
First year filing solo — where most people overpay by thousands
What the Risk Scan covers
Your Marriage Tax Risk Score (0–100) across 9 categories
Filing status optimization for your specific situation
Joint return liability exposure (the silent killer most couples ignore)
IRS debt and withholding red flags
Business and rental income risk areas
Children, dependents, and Form 8332 mechanics
Alimony tax treatment (post-2018 vs pre-2019 — the rules are different)
Prenup tax discussion points to bring to your attorney
Divorce and separation awareness — even if it's not on the table today
Top-3 prioritized actions and a list of questions for your attorney
"Most divorce settlements get negotiated by attorneys who do not specialize in tax. The wrong filing-status election alone can cost $8,000–$25,000 in the year of divorce. The wrong asset-division mechanics can cost six figures over a decade."
Why I built this
Busayo Ogunsanya, CPA, MST
Fordham MST · Former EY, KKR, J.P. Morgan · Founder, BigApple Accounting Tax & Advisory
I've watched too many smart, careful people — physicians, founders, executives — sign agreements and file returns that quietly cost them tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax mistakes their attorney never flagged. Marriage Tax Shield is the same analysis I run for private clients, productized so more couples can access it before the damage is done.
Scope. Marriage Tax Shield provides tax education and planning awareness only. It is not legal advice, divorce advice, custody advice, alimony advice, or a substitute for a licensed attorney. For legal agreements, custody rights, child-support determinations, and prenup drafting, consult a licensed family-law attorney in your state. Federal tax rules cited are current as of the 2025 tax year.
Marriage Tax Shield · A service of BigApple Accounting Tax & Advisory
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