I am getting married 12-31-06 and I am confused as to how I am supposed to file taxes after the marriage... Separately or Jointly? If separate then there must be a reason or you get less back and if jointly then stiill less because of my daughter. My 1 year old daughter is not his and he has no legal rights to her so won't we have to file separately? and will there be a penalty because we are filing separately because of a child that doesn't belong to the other parent? We are also getting married the last day of the year so we technically wouldn't have to file joint... correct? But then what about next year??
2006-12-15 06:34:17 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
Yes, you can file Married filing Joint for the 2006 tax return as long as you are married and living together on the last day of the year.
If your child lived with you more than half the year and you provide more than half her support than you will be able to claim her as a dependent on your joint return (unless you were divorced previously and have some sort of divorce decree that states that her father will be claiming the child as a dependant)
You will be able to file Married Filing Joint from now on.
Congratulations!
2006-12-15 07:02:28 · answer #1 · answered by T D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You never have to file joint, but if you're married at the end of the year your choices are married filing joint or married filing separately. You can't file single or head of household. Most of the time, filing separately costs you more taxes than filing joint.
I'm not sure what you mean by "...and if jointly then still less because of my daughter."
As far as taxes are concerned, a stepchild is treated the same as a natural child, so the fact that your daughter is not the child of your husband doesn't matter. On a joint return, you and your new husband would claim the child as a dependent as long as her birth father doesn't have the right to.
Next year is no different than this year. Your status for taxes is determined by your status the last day of the year, and you'll be married then.
2006-12-15 16:27:54 · answer #2 · answered by Judy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically speaking your tax status is determined on December 31 of each year. If you say "I Do" on December 31st you are married and would have to file jointly or married filing separate. Separate doesn't save any tax except in rare circumstances when a lower paid spouse has high medical deductions or miscellaneous deductions.
I would recommend that you compute taxes as single and head of household and then as joint and compare the total taxes to see if you say "I Do" at 11:55 or 12:05.
I have had cases where the reduction in taxes paid for the reception.
If you are married the daughter is claimed on the joint return, it doesn't matter which one is the parent.
Good Luck!
2006-12-15 07:51:50 · answer #3 · answered by waggy_33 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically, if your Martial status is Married on the last day of the tax year (i.e. 12-31-06) you will have to file either Married Filing Joint (MFJ) or Married Filing Separate (MFS). However, given that you are doing it on the last day and the marriage license wouldn't actually be filed until sometime in 2007, you can probably still file Head of Household this year.
Next year, however, you will have to file either MFJ or MFS with your new husband, with MFJ as the most beneficial tax status. You will loose Education Credit, Earned Income Credit among other deductions and credits available to you as Head of Household if you do MFS.
Best wishes.
2006-12-15 07:20:38 · answer #4 · answered by JQT 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You can file married filing jointly and claim your daughter if you can already claim her according to the divorce decree.
Congratulations.
2006-12-15 07:31:09 · answer #5 · answered by besttaxexpert 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You won't have a problem, but use the same name on your return as is on your social security card. If you try to use your new name on your return, but haven't changed it with social security, then an efile will reject and a paper filing could be questioned. But as long as you use your old name on the return, you can file jointly and not have a problem.
2016-05-22 21:31:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Asking for tax filing advice on Yahoo answers is a great way to get an audit. Go see a professional
2006-12-15 06:37:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋