Edited for clarity 4/17/2025 at 5:44 AM Pacific
@cassielua
After you follow the important points that @Vanessa A @xmasbaby0 and @AnnetteB6 all mentioned above to be sure you and your significant other are on the same wavelength, you can try the following, if you wish, and you may be able to efile without a rejection and avoid filing a paper return.
New this year:
If a dependent has already been claimed on another return and causes a rejection of the second return, the IRS now allows the first-listed (primary) taxpayer on the rejected return to get an IP PIN (a 6-digit Identity Protection PIN) and still successfully efile their return and avoid having to file a return on paper. I have seen users in this forum where it has worked. and the rejected filer was able to efile successfully. The IRS says:
"Beginning in the 2025 filing season, the IRS will accept Forms 1040, 1040-NR and 1040-SS even if a dependent has already been claimed on a previously filed return as long as the primary taxpayer on the second return includes a valid Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN). This change will reduce the time for the agency to receive the tax return and accelerate the issuance of tax refunds for those with duplicate dependent returns. In previous years, the second tax return had to be filed by paper."
"This change will benefit filers claiming important tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit."
"In the scenario where the dependent has already been claimed on another tax return, the IP PIN provides an important new option. The taxpayer listed first on an e-filed tax return claiming dependents can provide their current year IP PIN when they file. If they do, the return will still be accepted." The others listed on the return do NOT need to provide an IP PIN if they don’t have one.
IRS Source:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-takes-steps-to-help-prevent-refund-delays-by-accepting-duplicate-de...
