Can I Claim my wife as depended (Married filling jointly) if she is having medicaid during pregnancy.?

[mukesh6181]

Can I Claim my wife as depended (Married filling jointly) if she is having medicaid during pregnancy.?

she is On F-2 Visa ( student dependent visa). she is not working. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[SusanY1 · Accepted solution]

No, you cannot claim your wife as your dependent.  You may, if you choose, elect to file your tax return jointly with your spouse which entitles you to some additional tax benefits.

However, if you elect to do this you must also attach to your tax return an election to treat your spouse as a resident for tax purposes (this does not affect visa status) and include all of your spouse's worldwide income (if applicable).  

Once you make an election to treat your spouse as a resident for tax purposes it stays in effect until it is revoked and it is a once in a lifetime election.  

If you elect to file jointly you must also apply for an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for your spouse by attaching Form W-7 to your tax return and mailing the form, the required supporting documents, and your tax return to the address listed on the Form W-7 instructions.  You can find the form and its instructions here: About Form W-7. 

You can also find out more about the tax treatment of your nonresident alien spouse here: Non-citizen spouses and your taxes.