Dependents listed

mulls2123 — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:52:54 GMT

Do I need to list all my children on the 1040 if I am only claiming 1 as a dependent? We are filing married filing separately.

Re: Dependents listed

xmasbaby0 — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 21:19:04 GMT

No--you do not "list" children on a tax return unless you are claiming them as a dependent.

May I ask why you are filing separate returns if you have children? Do you realize that you are losing child-related credits by filing that way? You lose the childcare credit, earned income credit, education credit (if you have a college kid) and you have a lower income to use toward the child tax credit.

If you were legally married at the end of 2022 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

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 $25,900 (+$1400 for each spouse 65 or older) 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.

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return. Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, adoption credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable. Your limit for SALT (state and local taxes and sales tax) will be only $5000 per spouse. In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. The amount you can contribute to a retirement account will be affected. If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income. ( Community property states: AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI)

If you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-married-filing-jointly-vs-married-filing-separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901162-married-filing-separately-in-community-property-states

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separately

Re: Dependents listed

JohnF67 — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 21:24:43 GMT

You only should list children who you are claiming as dependents.

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Dependents listed

Re: Dependents listed

Re: Dependents listed