Can I claim my spouse who only worked 6 months of the year, as a dependent?

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
December 5, 2024
1 reply
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We just had a baby and she stopped working in June of 2024. We are a military family household.

Best answer by VolvoGirl

A spouse is never a dependent. You just file a Joint return even if they have little or no income. Joint is better than filing them as a dependent.

VolvoGirlAnswer

Employee

A spouse is never a dependent. You just file a Joint return even if they have little or no income. Joint is better than filing them as a dependent.

xmasbaby0

Employee

No you cannot claim your spouse as a dependent. File a joint return. That way you get the standard deduction for a married couple, which makes a lot less of your income taxable.

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $29,200 (+ $1550 for each spouse 65 or older) for 2024. You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit.

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