OP, you really want to figure this out according to YOUR situation. I always thought it was as simple as claiming the number of dependents you have including yourself, plus one for the house. I think for many people this tends to be true and you'll owe a small amount or get a small return, which is ideal. However, after I got married, my husband's self-employed status made things crazy. The first year, I couldn't believe how money we got back. Like 18 grand! (We bought a house and got married, tho, so some of this was one-off). The next year, 11K. I actually talked with the accountant who does our taxes to figure this out. It was about 200 bucks to sit down with him. I actually claim 14 exemptions and each year get or owe less than 500 bucks.
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