A community property state is one where most property acquired during a marriage is considered jointly owned by both spouses—regardless of who earned the income or whose name is on the title or account.
In these states, both spouses typically share equal ownership of:
- Income earned during the marriage
- Property or assets purchased with that income
- Debts taken on during the marriage
This matters when it comes to things like loans, taxes, or dividing property in the event of a divorce or death.
As of now, the nine community property states are:
- Arizona
- California
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Texas
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Alaska also allows couples to opt in to community property rules.
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