2007-07-26 15:20:14 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
I think you're talking about the Form W-4 you complete for an employer. And I'm guessing you wish to claim your spouse as an exemption. What this does is it reduces the amount of tax withheld from each of your paychecks because the payroll software your employer is using is assuming you are, in fact, going to enjoy the benefit of that exemption on your annual tax return.
You may qualify for married filing separately when you look at the rules next April . . . . but this may not be the best answer for you.
I STRONGLY recommend you consider spending $40 on Turbo Tax and then you can easily run your return with the married filing joint and married filing separate and see which one works the best for you in total.
But back to your W-4, you can actually claim as many exemptions as you'd like up to 99 exemptions. But your employer does have an obligation to determine the reasonableness of your claim and may adjust it accordingly.
Good luck!
2007-07-26 15:27:18 · answer #1 · answered by djvcpa 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What you claim on your W-4 is a number of allowances, not specific exemptions. The number of allowances claimed does not have to match your actual tax return. If you claim too many allowances though and don't have enough withheld, then you can be penalized in addition to having to pay the extra tax.
But to answer your question, no, you don't have to file jointly just because an allowance was claimed for your spouse on your W-4. But if you claim them, then file separately, you could end up owing some money when you file.
2007-07-26 16:45:20 · answer #2 · answered by Judy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What you put on your W4 has nothing to do with how you have to file. You can claim 99 deductions and have no tax coming out, but that does not mean you get to claim the same when you file your taxes.
What you put down is simply used to estimate your taxes and to take out the proper amount. It is always best to fill it out accurately, or in such a way that slightly more money will come out of your check resulting in a slight refund. Not too much though - you son't want the governemtn using your money for free all year!
2007-07-26 15:25:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you would need to file jointly because your spouce cannot legally be your dependant.
2007-07-26 15:23:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋