If my spouse did not make any income for the year, I should be able to claim her when I file for taxes, right?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

A spouse is Never claimed as a dependent.  You should be filing your tax return, when legally married, as Married Filing Jointly even if one spouse has little or no income.  You receive the highest Standard Deduction of $24,000 if under age 65.

[Hal_Al]

Yes and no.

Technically, a spouse can not be a dependent.

But, by using the  Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) filing status, you get more benefits than claiming her as a dependent. A spouse with zero income may (and should) still file as MFJ with her income earning spouse.