I’ve been preparing to file my taxes for the first time after moving to the U.S. and setting up my business. I’m married, but my spouse isn’t working right now and doesn’t have any income. I’ve heard about claiming dependents, but I’m confused; can I list my spouse as a dependent on my tax return?
Answer by: abdullah-al-naim
2 months ago
Totally fair confusion—but no, you can’t claim your spouse as a dependent.
Here’s the quick breakdown:
* The IRS sees spouses and dependents as separate categories.
* If you\’re married and filing jointly, your spouse doesn\’t need to be claimed as a dependent because they’re already included in the return.
* If you\’re filing separately, things get a little trickier, but your spouse still isn\’t considered a dependent.
Now, if your spouse has no income and you’re supporting them fully, you may still qualify for certain tax credits or deductions depending on your filing status, like the standard deduction for joint filers, which is much higher.
So while you can’t technically list them under “dependents,” the system does account for their situation.
If you’re running a business and filing taxes for the first time, we strongly recommend chatting with a qualified tax pro or reaching out to our support team at Business Globalizer; we deal with this kind of stuff all the time, especially for non-resident entrepreneurs.
Want help figuring out which filing status saves you the most? We’ve got you.
