Yes
If you are married, you have the option of filing your tax return jointly or separately. The majority of married couples file joint tax returns, but you should use the filing status that is most beneficial to your specific tax situation. You can then use the filing status that gives you and your spouse the biggest refund or the lowest tax liability. Learn about the Married Filing Separately filing status. We encourage you to use the free efile.com tax calculator to estimate the results of preparing a joint return versus separate returns. If you and your spouse file as Married Filing Jointly, your tax may be lower than your combined tax would be for another filing status. Your standard deduction may be higher, and you may qualify for other tax benefits that do not apply to the other filing statuses. You can then use the filing status that gives you and your spouse the biggest refund or the lowest tax liability. Learn about the Married Filing Separately filing status. We encourage you to use the free efile.com tax calculator to estimate the results of preparing a joint return versus separate returns. Since the baby is your child, lived with you for more than half the year, and doesn’t provide more than half of his/her own support (little hard for a baby to do) , you can claim your daughter as your dependent. To determine if you pay for more than half of her support, see IRS Pub 17, page 33, support worksheet http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf. Each dependent you claim on your 2008 tax return reduces your income by up to $3,500. If your girlfriend has lived with you for all of 2008, her gross income is less than $3,500, and you’ve provided more than half of her total support, you could claim her as a dependent on your tax return. To determine if you pay for more than half of her support, see IRS Pub 17, page 33, support worksheet http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf. Each dependent you claim on your 2008 tax return reduces your income by up to $3,500. If you can't file a joint return for the year, you can file as Head of Household (and get the benefit of a bigger standard deduction and more advantageous tax brackets) if you had a dependent living with you for more than half the year and you paid for more than half of the upkeep for your home.  1 To claim the credit, children must live with you more than half the year and must not provide more than half of their own support. 2  You must report each qualifying child's Tax Identification Number (TIN) on your return. 3  It's usually the child's Social Security number. A tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, so three qualifying children, for example, can cut what you owe Uncle Sam by $3,000. However, the credit is cut back if your income exceeds the levels listed below. Credit worth as much as $1,000 per child. If you have children who are under age 17 at of the end of the calendar year, you can get a tax credit of up to $1,000 per child on your tax return. A tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, so three qualifying children, for example, can cut what you owe Uncle Sam by $3,000. However, the credit is cut back if your income exceeds the levels listed below. Both you and your spouse must agree to file a joint return: One spouse can't file as married filing jointly and the other as married filing separately. Filing a joint tax return when you are married provides several benefits. First, you can take advantage of a number of credits and deductions that you can’t claim if you file a separate return. Herb and Susan have two children under age 17. The couple files a joint return and reports income of $50,000. Their AGI is well below the $110,000 phase-out threshold for married couples filing jointly. They can claim the full $2,000 child credit since the credit does not exceed their tax liability. A tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, so three qualifying children, for example, can cut what you owe Uncle Sam by $3,000. However, the credit is cut back if your income exceeds the levels listed below. You can still file as Married Filing Jointly even if your spouse died on January 1 (the first day of the tax year). For the next two years, you may be able to file as a Qualifying Widow or Widower with a Dependent Child. You can then use the filing status that gives you and your spouse the biggest refund or the lowest tax liability. Learn about the Married Filing Separately filing status. We encourage you to use the free efile.com tax calculator to estimate the results of preparing a joint return versus separate returns.
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if i'm married can i claim our kids turbotax