which is better on tax return?

Question

I made $30,000 should i claim both kids or my girlfriend made $5,000 should i claim 1 and her claim 1 which way will we get the most back.

Answer 1

I assume neither you nor the girlfriend are married, that you lived with your girlfriend and the children more than six months of the year, and that you and the girlfriend are the parents of the children. If any of this is not true, the answer will be different.

The girlfriend owes no tax and doesn't have to file. Her filing status is "single." If she files with 1 child, her Earned Income Credit is about $1700. If she files with 2 children, her EIC is about $2,000.

Your filing status is "head of household" if you claim one or both of the children, "single" otherwise.

Claim only yourself: Pay about $2800
Claim one child: Pay about $700
Claim two children: Refund about $1500.

So if the mother claims both children you together are down $800, if the mother claims one and you claim one, you together are up $1000, and if the mother claims none and you claim both, you together are up $1500.

Answer 2

With your girlfriend's income, she can claim single and just herself and her tax liability would be zero. She would receive no benefit in claiming a dependent. You would get the most back by claiming both dependents yourself.

Answer 3

she claim 1 and earned income...
you claim 1 and head household.