Question

A household consists of a married couple, their twin three year old sons, their twin eitght year old daughters. The couples children had no income and lived with their parents all of last year. How many exemptions can the couple claim on last years tax return if they file the "married filling jointly" status?

Answer 1

Generally, you can claim one personal tax exemption for yourself and one for your spouse if you are married. Your spouse is never considered your dependent.

You can also claim one tax exemption for each person who qualifies as your dependent.

You cannot claim any exemptions if another taxpayer is entitled to claim you as a dependent. In this case, they get the exemption for you, and you are not allowed to claim any dependents.