Posted: 1/11/2013 5:10:44 PM EDT
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I got married this year. Before we married, I would claim her as a dependent since she stays home with the kids and I file as HOH. Do I file MFJ or MFS? She has $0 income. Can I still claim her?
And, what the hell is EIC in plain English? I avoid it every year since I'm unsure about it. |
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It can be complicated depending on your situation, but married filing separate usually only makes sense if one spouse makes much more than the other. I think that is because the income of the lower paid spouse can effectively be pulled into a higher tax bracket when your incomes are combined. In your case, she makes no income so that's not an issue.
So married joint makes the most sense, you would still get a dependent deduction for both of you, and your standard deduction will be much higher (assuming you don't itemize deductions). |
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Quoted:
I got married this year. Before we married, I would claim her as a dependent since she stays home with the kids and I file as HOH. Do I file MFJ or MFS? She has $0 income. Can I still claim her? And, what the hell is EIC in plain English? I avoid it every year since I'm unsure about it. This is not tax advice. If you get married on Dec. 31, you are married for the whole year for tax purposes. If you got married in 2013, then you are NOT married for the purposes of your 2012 return. MFJ always, unless your spouse is engaging in tax fraud. You will claim your kids as dependents and you and your wife will also be able to claim 1 exemption each. EIC is wealth redistribution. It is a refundable tax credit for low income earners. Eligibility varies based on income. If you are eligible, Turbo Tax will populate that field for you. |
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The way I understand it, each person can be claimed once as a dependant. Most people claim themselve so naturally, no one else can claim them. If a person does not claim themself, then someone else can. I'm pretty sure that marital status or income is not a requirement one way or the other when claiming a person as a dependent. As long as you can show that you provided 51% support for that person during the year. Therefore, in my opinion, claiming your wife before you were married might have been legit. ** Disclaimer ** I'm not a tax professional. That's how I understand it.... Anyone have a professional opinion? |