My spouse worked for 5 hrs only in 2017, Do i need to file her tax return

[cherukurivijay-c]

HI,

I am full time employee working 40Hr/week, In 2016 I claimed my wife as dependent and filed taxes as Married-jointly.

In 2017, She worked for 5hrs later stopped working.

1) Can I still claim her a dependent? 

2) She did not receive any W2 from her employer s far , Do I need to file her tax returns also ?

3) Is there any minimum number of work hours required to get w2 or file tax returns

4) Also I received short term disability income in 2017, I did not see iton my w2, Do i need to report that also as income ?

Appreciate your inputs.

[DanielV01 · Accepted solution]

One by one answers to your questions:

1.)  Can you claim her as a dependent?  You can file Married Filing Joint.  When you file a joint return she is not your dependent but rather a co-declarer.  This is better:  you get an additional standard deduction, her exemption, and a lower overall tax bracket.  This is a better filing status than filing as Married Filing Separately.

2.)  Do I need to file her tax returns also?  It depends.  Her tax return is your tax return if you are filing Married Filing Joint.  I recommend you contact her employer to obtain her W-2 to remove all doubt.

3.) Is there any minimum number of work hours? No.  Even if the pay was $30 or $40, they will still provide a W-2.  That's different from 1099-MISC forms, which do not have to be sent if the amount is under $600.

4.)  Do I need to claim my ST disability?  Maybe.  At times it is taxable and at times it is not.  If it is taxable, you will receive a separate document.  You might want to contact your employer about whether or not your disability payments were taxable.  (General rule:  if you paid for the premiums with after-tax funds, st disability payments are not taxable.  However, if the employer pays for it, they will be taxable.  But you will generally receive a w-2 for it when this is the case.)

[Carl]

" I claimed my wife as dependent "

A married person can not be claimed as a dependent on any tax return. Ever. You file a joint return and report both of your incomes from all sources in the tax year on one single tax return. For a married couple to file separate tax returns is the most costly way to file tax-wise.