Can I claim my spouse who only worked 6 months of the year, as a dependent?

We just had a baby and she stopped working in June of 2024. We are a military family household.

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Can I claim my spouse who only worked 6 months of the year, as a dependent?

A spouse is never a dependent. You just file a Joint return even if they have little or no income. Joint is better than filing them as a dependent.

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Can I claim my spouse who only worked 6 months of the year, as a dependent?

No you cannot claim your spouse as a dependent. File a joint return. That way you get the standard deduction for a married couple, which makes a lot less of your income taxable.

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 $29,200 (+ $1550 for each spouse 65 or older) for 2024. 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.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

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2 Replies

Intuit Approved!

Can I claim my spouse who only worked 6 months of the year, as a dependent?

A spouse is never a dependent. You just file a Joint return even if they have little or no income. Joint is better than filing them as a dependent.

Can I claim my spouse who only worked 6 months of the year, as a dependent?

No you cannot claim your spouse as a dependent. File a joint return. That way you get the standard deduction for a married couple, which makes a lot less of your income taxable.

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 $29,200 (+ $1550 for each spouse 65 or older) for 2024. 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.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

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