just married :) - how to set up W4s

[xrevvyx]

What is the name of your state? NJ

Hi all
just got married 3 weeks ago and in the process of changing everything over etc, i have come to a fork in the road - some background -

my DH pays regular child support to his ex girlfriend for their 2 kids - and for the past 4 years he had been claiming them (since she didnt work) - she got a job in sept and decided that she would claim them BOTH from now on.. FINE ! so my husband ended up having to pay back (which we havent - just figured it would come out of next year's refund) - he has YET to change his allowances (dependants) on his W4's at work - so technically he's still claiming those kids -

ok here's where it gets REALLY tricky - i'm pregnant and due before the end of the year - my DH will file head of household and claim OUR baby - and i guess either knock the other 2 off or try and come to a resolution with BM about each claiming one (good luck) - with this in mind - how should i set MYSELF up ? should i be married joint or seperate ? and should i set myself up as a dependant (ie. 1) since i always chose 0 in the past and paid the most out .. but was guaranteed a refund -

thank you in advance

What is a DH?

What is a BM?

Head of Household (HOH) only applies to single parents.

[ShyCat]

The IRS provides an online withholding calcuator:

[url]http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html[/url]

Or, get a W-4 worksheet from your employer and use the worksheet to calculate the correct withholding exemptions.

[abezon]

1. Since your husband was never married to his ex, only the parent who provided more than 50% of the children's support in the tax year may claim the kids. If his ex only started working in Sept, it may be that his child support was greater than the money she spent on the kids. If he wants to claim the kids, he needs to keep meticulous records of every penny he spends on the kids. Support, gifts, what he spends during visitations, etc, should all be included. Her beginning to work is probably sufficient cause to revise his CS, which will allow him to find out how much she's making.

2. He MAY NOT file as head of household. His & your options are married filing jointly & married filing separately. Best will be to file jointly & claim 1-3 kids.

3. The W-4 forms have a worksheet that helps you figure out how to set up the withholding allowances when both spouses work. Be sure to save some money. By switching to MFJ & dropping a dependent, the 2 of you will probably owe money in April. Get your taxes done early so you have time to save if you're going to owe.