If you are married filing jointly and your spouse has not worked in all of 2011 do you list them as a dependant???? I was wondering if we would qualify for Earned Income Credit. We also have a 10 year old child. Any info on this situation is greatly appreciated. THANKS

“If you are married filing jointly and your spouse has not worked in all of 2011 do you list them as a dependant????”====>No I don’t thinks ; a spouse can NEVER claim another spouse as his/her dependent; Spouses are not dependents of each other
“ I was wondering if we would qualify for Earned Income Credit. We also have a 10 year old child. “====>Earned Income Tax Credit, is a benefit for working people who have low to moderate income. A tax credit means more money in your pocket. It reduces the amount of tax you owe and may also give you a refund. To claim EITC on your tax return: You must have earned income from working for someone else or running or operating a business ;Your filing status cannot be married filing separately ;You cannot be a qualifying child of another person ;You must meet the earned income, AGI and investment income limits (income limits change each year),
And you must meet one of the following:
Have a qualifying child
If you do not have a qualifying child, you must:
be age 25 but under 65 at the end of the year, and
not qualify as a dependent of another person. If you qualify for EITC, you have to file a tax return with the IRS, even if you owe no tax or are not required to file.