@Fasi wrote:
I got married in October 2024 to a single mother who has a biological child. For the 2024 tax year we filed jointly with me as the primary taxpayer. My spouse did not have any income in 2024. We claimed the child as a dependent but I did not claim the Earned Income Credit (EIC) because I believed the child did not live with me for more than half the year. The child has lived with his biological mother who's now my wife his entire life.
Because you were legally married on December 31, and the child lived with one of the parents for more than half the year, you can claim the child as an eligible dependent for EITC on your joint return. It is not necessary for the child to have lived with both parents equally.
