If I claim my wife and children on my W2 do I have to claim them on my tax return?

[mrmiller73]

If I claim 4 on my W2 through out the year do I have to claim 4 on my return? Can my wife file taxes separate from me?

[DoninGA]

The number of exemptions and your status that is entered on the W-4 that you give to your employer for tax withholding is not relevant to how your report your Filing Status or the number of dependents claimed on your tax return.

If you were legally married on 12/31/2016 you can file your tax return as either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.  See this TurboTax support FAQ for filing jointly versus separately - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separ...