Newly Married

[newmawm707]

Hi! I recently married this year. My spouse is a retired army veteran and does not file taxes (no taxable income). How should I prepare to file including him and his child as members in the household? 

[drc845443]

You will get the best benefit by filing as Married Filing Jointly.

Assuming that his child meets the requirements to be claimed as a dependent, you should also claim the child as a dependent on the joint tax return.

Here is a link to a resource containing the rules for claiming a dependent on your tax return:

Rules for Claiming a Dependent on Your Tax Return - TurboTax Tax Tips & Videos (intuit.com)

If the child does not meet any of the requirements to be claimed as a dependent, then you should file as Married Filing Jointly and not claim the child.

[SwapnaM]

@newmawm707 Thanks for the question!!

Based on the information provided, you can use either the Married Filing Jointly(MFJ) or married filing separately(MFS) status. Generally, filing jointly (one tax return instead of two) will give you a bigger refund or less taxes due. While filing separately, your tax rate is higher & you are not eligible for some credits.  You can compare your estimated taxes for filing jointly vs. separately with TaxCaster.  

Also look at the following link to understand more about the credit not allowed for MFS & circumstances why you would file MFS.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/better-married-couple-file-join...

The children can be claimed as dependents on your return. Who can I claim as my dependent?