Listen up, kids: After you’ve decided who takes out the garbage and other weighty logistical issues of marriage, it’s time to think about taxes.

Start by filing Form 8822 with the Social Security Administration to get a new Social Security card in your married name. Many couples overlook this step, and it can lead to confusion when filing your taxes. Then get your withholding and deductions right. Claim everything allowed by law, unless you enjoy giving a big chunk of your money to Uncle Sam interest free for a year.

This puts you on track to receive the significant tax benefits from being married. In most cases, a married couple filing jointly will pay less in taxes than filing separate returns. In general, the marriage penalty isn’t an issue until the couple’s combined income is $250,000 or greater.

Your marital status on the last day of the calendar year determines your filing status for the entire year. The IRS requires couples to file separately if one spouse is a non-resident alien or either spouse is claimed as a dependent on some else’s tax return. Calculate your tax both jointly and separately to determine which gives you the better deal.

With a joint return, you:
 

• Report your combined income and deduct your combined allowable expenses.
• May qualify for tax benefits that wouldn’t apply if filing separately.

With separate returns, you:
 

• Report only your income, exemptions, credits and deductions.
• Can claim your spouse as an exemption if your wife or husband had no gross income and wasn’t claimed as a dependent of another person.

Remember: In most cases, you’ll pay a higher total tax on separate returns than on a joint return because you aren’t able to claim as many credits and deductions.

Some people deliberately over-withhold their payroll taxes and consider it an enforced savings plan. They may get a fat refund each spring, but this is a bad idea because the government doesn’t pay interest on your money. It therefore makes more sense to get withholding right and make regular contributions to a savings account. Think about setting up a payroll deduction so the money goes directly to your savings each month, removing the temptation to spend it.
 

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Claim as many personal exemptions and deductions as allowed to lower your taxable income. The lower your tax rate, the less you’ll benefit from each deduction. You can’t claim the standard deduction if a married individual filing a separate return itemizes deductions.

The standard deductions for tax year 2006 are $5,150 for married filing separately and $10,300 for married, filing jointly. The Internal Revenue Service explains it all (sometimes in governmental gobbledygook that resembles a dog’s breakfast) here. If your itemized deductions total more than the appropriate standard deduction, you’ll save money by itemizing. If not, take the standard deduction.

You may qualify for these deductions:
 

• Loss due to theft or damage, such as fire, if you’re not covered by insurance.
  
  
• Contributions made to qualified charitable organizations in cash, goods and later in your marriage, real estate or securities. Be sure to get a receipt from the charitable organization to back up your claim.
  
  
• Unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Check IRS rules first to be sure the expense qualifies as a deduction. Warning: You can’t deduct health club dues, over-the-counter medicines, toothpaste, cosmetics, cosmetic surgery or a program designed for the general improvement of your health.
  
• Income taxes paid to your state and city or a foreign government. All state, local and foreign real estate taxes are deductible on federal taxes.

For most Americans, home ownership is probably the best tax shelter available so start saving now for the down payment on your first house. If you own a house, you can deduct mortgage interest if it’s your principal residence. You also can deduct property taxes, points paid on a new loan and points paid on a refinanced loan. The deduction must be amortized over the life of the loan. Points – loan origination fees – are considered prepaid mortgage interest.

Set up separate Roth IRAs as quickly as possible. The sooner you start a retirement account, the easier it will be to save – and the bigger your nest egg.

Your income will soon grow and before long you’ll have a house and other assets. At that point, check with a tax pro because the wrinkles in the tax code are almost infinite and there are obscure provisions that apply only to married couples. You want to avoid the pitfalls and, with luck, you’ll ease the tax bite and keep a little more of your own money.

Many brokerage firms have Web sites offering financial planning tips, including T. Rowe Price (TROW), Merrill Lynch (MER), Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS). Major banks also offer solid information, including JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C) and Wells Fargo (WFC).