My boyfriend makes about 39k annually, will he get more this year for claiming me if we're married?

And how will that affect our child tax credit for our two kids, because i don't have an income?

If your asking will your income tax be more Yes. If he is the only one working and files a 1040 claiming you and the children as dependents. Depending on his age if he can be head of household you can recieve another deduction. You recieve an additional $1000 deduction per child. He will get more in the return because he has less tax liablity now that you and the children are dependent on his income to live.

If you do not marry, but you live together, he supports you, and the children are his children, then he can file as Head of Household, claim you as a dependent, and claim the two children. If he takes a standard deduction, he will owe no tax and will receive an Additional Child Tax Credit of $23. He makes too much money as Head of Household to get any Earned Income Credit.

If you marry and file a joint return, he will owe no tax, receive an Additional Child Tax Credit of $395, and an Earned Income Credit of $160.

The figures may vary slightly because the 2007 tables were used for the credits. But you basically would benefit about $500 by marrying and filing a joint return.

If you marry, he would benefit greatly by putting some money into a retirement account. His ACTC and EIC would increase. He would also be eligible for a 10% credit on the first $2,000 of retirement savings, or an additional $200.

Ami is close.

The "additional child tax credit" is refundable. And at that income level, you would also have a small amount of earned income credit coming your way ($160) on your married filing joint return. Based on 2007 tax rates, you would receive $527 refund, even if no taxes were withheld from paychecks.

First of all, just to clarify for you since the previous responders have given you either confusing or erroneous information: once you get married, your filing status is "married filing joint". No one claims a spouse because a spouse cannot be a "dependent" on their husband/wife's return. You are simply a couple filing a joint return.

As a married filing joint couple your standard deduction (based on 2007 tax tables - 2008 will be somewhat different) is $10700. You are entitled to $13600 in personal exemption credits. These are exemption credits for you, your husband and your children (who ARE your dependents).

Your husband's $39000 income will be reduced to a taxable income of $14700 ($39000 - $10700 - $13600).

Based on this number your tax liability is $1470. Once the child tax credits are applied, your tax liablity will be wiped out - as you will be entitled to $2000 ($1000 per child) in child tax credits. Be advised that this $2000 is considered a "non-refundable" credit. So you are not "getting $2000". It simply exceeds the $1470 tax liability, so it brings your tax down to "0".

As such, your husband (if that is what he will be by the end of the year) should receive a refund of all taxes he has paid during the year.

This is taking into consideration that he is an "employee" (has W-2 income) instead of an "independent contractor" -which might make the outcome of his return different.

Based on what information you have given, if you were my clients I would advise you to definitely get married, because as it stands - without being married - your boyfriend's filing status is "head of household" - meaning his standard deduction based on 2007 tables is $7850. You are "qualifying relative" and your children are "qualifying child". Once you apply the $7850 plus $13600 of personal exemptions for the four of you, his taxable income is $17550, making his tax liability $2073. Applying the child tax credits would still leave him with a tax liability of $73. That would be balanced against whatever he pays in taxes for the year through his paychecks and he would still receive a refund.

But yes, being married he will definitely get a little more back than not being married.

Update:

Actually to clarify the information others have given about the Additional Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Credit - the amounts you would get are $530 (Additional Child Tax Credit - $2000-$1470 - since you are not able to use the full Child Tax Credit. If you DON'T get married, your boyfriend will not be entitled to ACTC because you WILL get the full Child Tax Credit based on the scenario I outlined) and $160 (Earned Income Credit - if you are married - if not, then NO - based on the adjusted gross income threshholds for these different filing statuses). But no one can say exactly what your REFUND would be on your tax return because this is all dependent on the information you have provided. There is still other information that is not known, such as if either or both of you have any sort of pre-tax retirement plans, education plans for the kids, child care, in schools yourselves, etc..etc.....We are also assuming standard deduction as opposed to itemized so really, many of these numbers are subject to change.

If you file a joint return that would probably result in a lower tax bill.

If he has been claiming the two kids, and they are his biological kids, it won't affect the child tax credit.

Yes. He can claim all of you as deductions on his W4 once you are married. That nets more cash per paycheck.
AND: when you file your taxes next year, your marriage deductions and dependant deductons are for the whole year, even tho you were married for only part of a year. ANd you may probably keep you tax credits as well, depending on total adjusted net income. Nice huh?

If you two get married your joint 2008 income tax will be about $285 less than his 2008 income tax would have been if he had stayed single.

The amount of taxes he has to pay is lowered because he will be claiming you and your two children PLUS you get to subtract $10,700 from your income before you determine the percent of taxes you will be paying instead of the $5,350 if he were to do it alone PLUS the child tax credit (as long as your children are under 17)

With an income of 39k he will probably get all his tax money back.

Depends what country your in.

In the UK your better of staying out of marriage, due to our screwed up family credit system.

Elsewhere the law is different.

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