From the April 2008 issue of Wealth Manager Web • Subscribe!
April 1, 2008  Love & Taxes  A wedding is a solemn event that
marks a personal commitment. So it's no surprise that taxes are
probably the last thing on your clients' minds when they are on
the threshold of marriage. But when choosing a date for the
wedding, it pays to consider what time of year the nuptials will
take place. Choose December, for example, and the IRS may turn
out to be an unexpected guest.  Couples should be made aware
that saying "I do" before or after the stroke of midnight on New
Year's Eve can make a significant difference in the size of
their tax bill for two full years. The rule--too often
overlooked--is that their marital status as of Dec. 31 usually
determines their filing status for the entire year. In other
words, the IRS ordains that you are a married person for all of
2008 even if you should get hitched as late as Dec. 31. (By the
same token, even though in anticipation of divorce, spouses may
be living apart, absent the