Chloe and Bill, Both Single with No Dependents, Plan to Marry

question 101

Essay

Chloe and Bill, both single with no dependents, plan to marry either immediately before or immediately after year-end. Chloe's income for 2018 is $89,000 and Bill's is $86,000 before subtracting $12,000 for the standard deduction for each. Would they have a marriage penalty or a marriage benefit if they married at the end of 2018?

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Definitions:

Marginal Productivity Theory

A principle in economics that suggests that the addition of a unit of labor or capital leads to a change in output, essentially quantifying the extra output produced by adding one more unit of a resource.

Equilibrium Value

The price and quantity at which the supply of an item equals the demand for that item, achieving a balance in the market.

Marginal Product

The additional output that is produced as a result of utilizing one more unit of a variable input, holding other inputs constant.

Equilibrium Quantity

The level of goods or services offered and demanded at the price of equilibrium.