Stimulus Check for "Your Spouse as a dependent"

In TurboTax, you must have check the box saying that some one can claim you as a dependent. There is no such question about your spouse.

If this is the case, you must amend your tax return to receive the stimulus payment. Uncheck that box when you amend.

To amend your return, please follow the instructions in this TurboTax Help topic.

My wife and I file separately.  Both of our boxes are checked, erroneously, stating someone can claim our spouses as a dependent.  Neither of us would knowingly check that, but there it is.  On an amended return, it can be unchecked.  So this response saying no such question exists is at least partially incorrect.  

@aquinley0001  Did you or your wife receive your stimulus payment? I was wondering if this was a reason for no payment yet.

No, nothing yet.  I’m suspicious this is the reason.  I have since this post read that there was an issue last year on TurboTax with this box being checked automatically and people were unable to uncheck it.  I won’t say this is the problem but neither my wife nor I can figure out how we both would accidentally check these boxes on separate returns.  My 2018 shows the same box checked.  idk if carrying over our personal information from previous year’s return caused this or what.  But I can imagine an IRS computer system tweaked quickly for stimulus refunds picking up that box and incorrectly assuming we were ineligible, even though we both answered that no one can claim us as dependents on the question asking about ourselves (the filers) rather than the question asking about our spouse.  We both used TurboTax for 2018, too. 

Thank you. 

I guess I will try to file an Amended Return and hope to see something many months from now, but at this point it feels doubtful.

This happened to me as well, also didn't receive my stimulus check. I tried to amend my form and I STILL don't see that as an option. Did you figure out how to properly amend it? I'm really annoyed with Turbotax over this.

Hi Sarah,

Yes, it can be changed.  After selecting the amend return button and open the process, it can be changed under "personal information" or some option similar to this.  

We are both still waiting on ours getting the same message.  We'll be sending in amended returns very soon, once printed off, just in case.  Remember, amended returns cannot be e-filed and take about 4 months for the IRS to process.  😕 

I called the IRS today and they informed me this is the reason I have not received a stimulus payment and that I would have to get it on my taxes next year. The box was checked saying my spouse could be claimed as a dependent and Im not even married.

Thank you, Mark - I wasn't able to get through when I tried calling a few days ago, so thanks for the confirmation.

Really unfortunate.  

Hello,

I just got off the phone with the IRS and they told me the same thing.  I never checked the box stating my spouse could be claimed as a dependent but it automatically popped up on my tax return.  There does not seem to be an option to amend this with turbo tax so I will try and contact them to see what I can do next.  This seems to be a huge glitch that is preventing me and others from receiving their stimulus payment.

How or where do I go to amend my return?

i just got off the phone with the IRS and they stated that i checked off where it says : Standard Deduction someone can claim : Your spouse as a deduction which means I get no stimulus payment. I file married file separate and never had this confusion of a question. I filed back on April 15 exactly and was wondering why no stimulus. I want to amend and can I. How do I go about this? Please help 

You can file an amended return by mail, but it is not likely to be processed in time to generate an economic impact payment (stimulus check) for you this year, unfortunately. 

More than likely, you will claim your payment as a credit when you file your 2020 return in 2021.  

To amend a return filed in TurboTax, log back into your account or open the program and select the option "amend a return that has been filed and accepted" and then follow the prompts.

I checked the "Someone can claim your spouse as a dependent" box in both my 2018 (married-separate) & 2019 (single) Turbo-tax filed returns. It's a REAL option, I'm looking at both returns as I am typing.

Not sure what I misinterpreted in the instructions that led me to make that mistake, it's not something I intended nor would I have any logical reason to select. My wife did not file in 2018 and my (now ex-) wife's 2019 refund is being held up because that box was checked.  

I filed a 1040X to correct the problem, BUT....

the 1040 X does NOT have the "Someone can claim your spouse as a dependent" box to leave blank!

I included an explanation of why I was filing amended in the comments section of the 1040X, but this wont be addressed for at least another 3 months!

My question, EXACTLY what part of the process did I misinterpret? It's occurred twice with disastrous results and I want to know how I messed this up, and how to avoid it in the future.  

thanks for any clarification you can provide!

@xmasbaby0 

better add this one to the open ticket for the Moderators to pass on.  Seemed to be a check mark on the 2018 return too?

I had the same thing happen to me - the "someone can claim my spouse as a dependent" box was checked when it shouldn't have been.  This prevented me from getting a stimulus check (though not my spouse), and my kids are claimed under my name (my husband and I file separately), so I received zero money for them either.  TURBOTAX - this seems like a mistake on your part, some sort of glitch in your system!  We can do our best to amend our tax returns, but I think a company with your credibility (and voice!) needs to speak up to the IRS and let them know that this error has unfairly left many of us without stimulus money.  The IRS isn't listening to the individuals contacting them here and there (I've also been told by an IRS rep that "it doesn't make sense," "there's nothing we can do," and "you can try to claim it on the 2020 taxes, but there's no promise that you'll get it").  There's a good chance that they will listen to YOU!  

@Bethanyt84

You have the option of amending your 2019 return versus waiting to claim the stimulus on your 2020 return. 

Once you are certain that your return has been filed and accepted, read on for instructions on how to amend:

1. Sign in to TurboTax.
2. Scroll down to Your tax return & documents (you may need to select Show), select 2019 and then Amend (change) return.
   • If you only see the option to amend 2018 or earlier, it's because you can't amend an unfiled 2019 return. Instead, just select Pick up where you left off, make your changes, and disregard the rest of these instructions.
3. Select Amend using TurboTax Online.
4. Carefully follow the instructions. Don't worry if your refund changes to $0. This is normal on amended returns.
5. When finished, we'll give you instructions for printing and mailing your amended return, as amendments can't be e-filed.

I agree! Let's stay on Turbo Tax about this! So unfair that they haven't responded yet! I amended my taxes but it will take months for anything to happen I'm sure. If it doesn't go through by the beginning of 2021 supposedly we can submit a 'credit recovery' when filling 2020's taxes. IRS and Turbo Tax really dropped the ball here and now we are deprived of our much needed stimulus! 

@GiseleD 

Thanks for your reply.  I did amend my 2018 tax return just this week after learning of all of this (my 2019 tax return did not have this box checked, but the IRS used my 2018 taxes for eligibility), but I'm out of options for the time being.  Now I've been told to wait until I file my 2020 taxes and hope they reconsider their decision.  However, in speaking with the IRS, they told me that they won't be reversing their decisions regarding eligibility, but will only be considering new information (e.g., I had a baby in 2018, which would be reflected on my 2019 taxes, not my 2018 taxes and I should therefore be getting stimulus money for 2 kids instead of 1).  It's helpful that you guys are replying to us in this forum, but I think TurboTax should speak up on this to the IRS.    

My 1040 shows the box checked as well, and I'm not even married.

With how many people seem to be having this issue, I really don't think it's something we did, but a software problem.  If you go through the process there isn't a single question that asks anything about a spouse being claimed.  I filed as single.  It only asks me if I personally can be claimed as a dependent.  If there's never even a question about it, then it wasn't me that screwed up. 

Very upset at TurboTax over this.  And I can't even ask them about it unless I pay $30 and upgrade to a paid version.

This doesn't work.

The box about a spouse being claimed is mistakenly checked on my 1040, but I'm not even married.  I filed as single.  And because I filed as single, your system never asks me if my spouse can be claimed.  It only asks if I can be claimed and I answered no.

If your system doesn't ask the question then there's no way to uncheck the box.

Hi,

I also had the same box " your spouse can be claimed as a dependent" mysteriously checked on my 2018 taxes filed with Turbo Tax.  I file as Head of Household & my former spouse is not listed on my taxes.  It seems to be a Turbo Tax glitch for sure.    Can I skip amending my 2018 taxes and just claim the stimulus on my 2020 return or will I be required to amend the 2018 in order to received the $1200 stimulus payment as a credit on my 2020 return?  My 2019 taxes were filed correctly -- not done through Turbo Tax!! Not sure why the stimulus payment wasn't based on my 2019 taxes anyway..   Thanks for any and all help!  

Wow add me to the list of people screwed over by this glitch from Turbo Tax! My wife and I filed separately and were patiently waiting for our stimulus check. Finally decided to call the IRS and got the same message as everyone here, someone is claiming me as a dependent. That would be my wife and vise versa. It didn't make sense to me because we are in our 30's, how can we be claimed as a dependent. I would never check that box My wife planned to claim our 1 year old daughter.

Turbo Tax really needs to answer for this because so many people are complaining about this. The IRS rep told me this cannot be changed this year either. Bad enough we all have to deal with Covid, social distancing, and no work. Now we can't even get what's rightfully ours in the form of a stimulus check. This is so frustrating!

I really hope there is a way to recoup this money. 

Stimulus payments will be based on information from your most recent tax filings, either 2019, or 2018 if you haven't filed this season yet. But, the amount paid to you now will be reconciled on next year’s tax return based on your current 2020 situation.   

Will it generate in time to get the 2nd check? If that even happens.