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Possibly but it will not be easy.
1. First, only the parent who has custody more than half the nights of the year (more than 183 nights) has the automatic right to claim the children as dependents. This is the custodial parent. The IRS does not recognize "50/50" custody, you actually have to count nights.
(Understand that, for everything that follows, federal tax law trumps state court orders. It is not uncommon for state courts to write provisions that are not allowed in federal law. Any part of the divorce order that violates federal tax law is unenforceable.)
The non-custodial parent can only claim the child as a dependent if the custodial parent gives them a signed form 8332, dependent release. This allows the non-custodial parent to claim the child tax credit, but not EIC, the dependent care credit, or qualify for head of household. Those tax benefits always stay with the custodial parent and can't be waived, released, transferred or shared.
2. So, if your children live more than 183 nights with your ex, you can't claim them at all unless she gives you a signed form 8332, and even then, they do not qualify you for EIC or head of household. If she refuses to give you the signed release form, you can't claim the children, even though the court says you can. You can go to court and ask the court to force her to sign or hold her in contempt (and many judges will do this) but the IRS only follows federal law and won't give you the dependents without the form.
3. If you file as if they lived with you more than half the nights and ignore the release form, you would be committing tax fraud, and could be subject to late fees and penalties if audited. If you file a non-eligible child for EIC, you can be automatically barred from EIC for a minimum of two years. If your ex files correctly that the children lived with her and she is releasing them, and you file as if they lived with you, this will be a red flag for the IRS.
4. Now, it is certainly possible that you and your spouse could arrange the children's sleeping arrangements so that 2 children stay with you more half the nights of the year, and two children stay with your ex more than half the nights of the year. In that case, each of you has the automatic right to claim those children as dependents, you don't need any waivers, and the children qualify you for EIC and HOH. If you did not do this for 2018, you could arrange it for 2019, but for 2018 you are stuck with whatever has already happened.
5. If you divorced during 2018, and the children lived with you more than 183 days because you lived together for a while, then you can claim the children as full dependents with no release form, but only for 2018. The regular rules will take effect next year. (For example, if you separated on June 15, and had the children every other weekend after that, you get credit for about 193 days.) But, if you and your ex claim the same children, the IRS will award all the dependents to her, since she has more total days of residency with the children.
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