Can I claim my husband on my tax return if he receives SSI? Should I file as head of house hold?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

You cannot claim a spouse as a dependent.  You should be filing as Married Filing Jointly even if one of you had little or no income.

SSI is Supplemental Security Income and is not from the Social Security Administration. It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and. It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. SSI is not reported on a tax return.

Social Security Retirement/Disability/Survivors benefits are reported on a form SSA-1099 and the benefits received are to be entered on a federal tax return. The benefits may be taxable depending on the amount of other income you have entered on your tax return.

To enter Social Security benefits reported on form SSA-1099

Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
Click on Wages and Income (Personal Income using Home and Business)
Click on I'll choose what I work on (if shown)
Scroll down to Retirement Plans and Social Security
On Social Security (SSA-1099, RRB-1099), click the start or update button

Or enter ssa-1099 in the Search box located in the upper right of the program screen. Click on Jump to ssa-1099

Up to 85% of Social Security Retirement/Disability/Survivors benefits becomes taxable when all your other income plus 1/2 your social security reaches:

• Married Filing Jointly - $32,000
• Single or Head of Household - $25,000
• Married Filing Separately - 0

[Hal_Al]

Q. Should I file as head of house hold (HoH)?

A. No.

If you are married and living with your spouse, you are not allowed to file HoH.  Your choices are Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) or Married Filing Separately (MFS). You want to file MFJ.  Technically, you cannot claim a spouse as a "dependent". But, by filing as MFJ, you effectively claim him and get more benefits than claiming an actual dependent.

Some people use the term SSI to mean social security income.  It actually means Supplemental security income, which is totally different.  

When a spouse has social security (SS) income, some people are tempted to file as MFS, so they don't have to include the spouse's SS. That doesn't work.  Then your spouse has to file MFS too, and all his SS is reportable ( Social Security Retirement/Disability/Survivors benefits becomes taxable when all your other income plus 1/2 your social security reaches: Married Filing Separately - $0).