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View Full Version : What do I do if my mother in law claimed my wife?


juanito708
Jan 28, 2007, 02:22 PM
Me and my wife had gotten married on dec. 18 2006 and her mother claimed her yet so did I I thought she could not claim her because she is my wife what do I do?

RubyPitbull
Jan 28, 2007, 02:36 PM
If you are positive that your mother-in-law has already filed her tax return, and since it is far from being the deadline of April 15, your mother-in-law needs to file an amended return and there shouldn't be a problem.

The other option is that you yourself file a married but separate return so that your mother-in-law can have the benefit of claiming your wife for the year. There is no law that keeps her from claiming your wife as a dependent. The only crime that comes into play is if you BOTH claim her as a dependent.

Hope this helped clear things up.

Fr_Chuck
Jan 28, 2007, 03:56 PM
Your mother in law can not legally claim her, but heck people just make up kids and try to claim them. So your mother in law filed a incorrect tax return, you merely file yours correctly, and tell her she had better correct hers.

ScottGem
Jan 28, 2007, 04:22 PM
The rule is that you have to have paid 50% support for someone to claim them as a dependent. Sounds like Your mom-in-law is more likely to fulfill that requirement.

RubyPitbull
Jan 28, 2007, 04:38 PM
Scott & Fr Chuck - FYI: Juanito sent me a private message after I posted. It seemed to suggest that his wife was living with him throughout all of 2006. So, I told him if that was the scenario, he had every right to claim her, since they were married in 2006 and that if his mother-in-law doesn't amend her return, she is the one liable if the gov't picks up on it, not him.

ScottGem
Jan 28, 2007, 04:56 PM
Thanks for passing that along, Ruby. An example of why questions should be public.

AtlantaTaxExpert
Jan 28, 2007, 05:01 PM
ALCON:

If you are married, it is unlikely your parents can legally claim you, even if they provided over 50% of your support. That's the law.