Dependents are typically:

• Children under the age of 19
• Students under the age of 24 who live with their parents
• Relatives or members of your household who get more than half of their financial support from you and who have a gross income under $5,050

You can’t claim your spouse as a dependent if you file jointly.

Learn more about dependents.

If you relied on someone else (other than your spouse) for support in , they might be able to claim you as a dependent on their federal tax return.

There are a few factors that determine whether someone can claim you as a dependent, including:

• Your relationship to that person
• How much they supported you, financially and in other ways
• If you lived with them and for how long

Review Table 5 in IRS Publication 501 to determine if someone else might be able to claim you.

Keep in mind that you aren’t someone else’s dependent if you paid for more than half of your own support (or if your spouse did).

If there's no change in your marital status or family situation this year, then you may want to use the same filing status from your tax return.

If you had a change in your marital status or household in the past year, you may need to use a different filing status for a more accurate estimate.

Each filing status has different requirements.

Single:

• You can't be married

Married Filing Jointly:

• You're married or your spouse died during the year

Married Filing Separately:

• You're married
• You don't plan to file together with your spouse (most couples save money by filing jointly)

Head of Household:

• You can't be married (or you're considered unmarried for tax purposes)
• You paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for a family member or member of your household for a specific amount of time, and they must meet certain requirements

Qualified Surviving Spouse:

• Your spouse died in or
• You didn't remarry before
• You have a dependent child who lives with you all year
• You pay more than half the cost of keeping up your home

Learn more about filing statuses (opens in a new tab).

You can’t claim your spouse as a dependent, even if they relied on you financially.

If your spouse relied on someone else (other than you) for support in , the other person might be able to claim your spouse as a dependent on their federal tax return.

There are a few factors that determine whether someone can claim your spouse as a dependent, including:

• Your spouse's relationship to that person
• How much they supported your spouse, financially and in other ways
• If your spouse lived with them and for how long

Review Table 5 in IRS Publication 501 to determine if someone else might be able to claim your spouse.

Keep in mind that your spouse isn’t someone else’s dependent if your spouse paid for more than half of their own support (or if you did).