My friend has a child but has not had an over the table job this year, and we are trying to figure out if she can file taxes and claim her child and get anything for a return. Mainly want to do it so that child's father cannot because she let him do it last year and he swore he would spend the money on the kid, but went out and bought a motorcycle for himself instead and didn't spend a dime on the kid.

I don't know anything she can do to file unless she or the kid are collecting soc. sec. disability.

Agreed. If there is no earned income, then she cannot file a tax return to claim the child.

Well I love the term "over the table" which means she must have had "under the table" earnings which has to legally be reported, so legally she has to do a return and report all of her earnings, even those for cash.

But I will say, sounds pretty hateful if she can not use the dependents does not want him to.
If he is not paying child support, she needs to get the order inforced