I live in California and I got married in May 2017. Me and my spouse are planning on filing jointly but my mom is going to claim me as a dependent. This would be fine but since I checked the box that someone else is claiming me, my return shows a fee for not having health insurance even though I did. Until I was married I was on my mom's plan, then me and my wife got our own. I don't know what the proper way to proceed is because I wasn't married the whole year. Do I need to file joint or separate and can I be claimed as a dependent for half the year?

I live in California and I got married in May 2017. Me and my spouse are planning on filing jointly but my mom is going to claim me as a dependent.======>>even if you?re married, but have little or no income and rely on your mom other than your spouse for support, your mom who?s providing for you may be able to claim you as a dependent on her tax return. You can?t be a dependent on more than one person?s tax return. In this case, you can not file your return as MFJ .


This would be fine but since I checked the box that someone else is claiming me, my return shows a fee for not having health insurance even though I did. Until I was married I was on my mom's plan, then me and my wife got our own. I don't know what the proper way to proceed is because I wasn't married the whole year. ========>>then you need to adjust your obama care health care coverage; For lower-income individuals and families, premium subsidies are crucial for making health insurance affordable. Once you have Marketplace coverage, it?s important to report life changes. This information may change the coverage or savings you?re eligible for. Your mother should report the changes to the Marketplace:Changes in income or other changes that affect her household size.
? gaining/losing a dependent, or etc. Some life changes can affect the premium tax credit you may be eligible for. On your return the amountof your premium tax credit exceeds your what you are actually entitled to when you compute your creditusing 2017 numbers, you have to pay the difference back to the IRS on your taxreturn and vice versa


Do I need to file joint or separate and can I be claimed as a dependent for half the year?======>as said aslongas you are claimed as a dependent of your mother, you can not file return as MFJ;no you can not be claimed as dependent for half the year. There is no such thing as claiming a dependent for part of the year.
Then you need to file your return as MFS.youi can file return as MFJ oNLY if you can be claimed by your mother if you are filing a joint return your spouse in order to get back all of the Federal tax withholdings shown on your/your spouse?s W-2s. If she is getting a refund of all tax withholdings, then there is no tax liability shown on her tax return.
Please contact an IRS Enrolled Agent / a CPA doing taxes in your local area for your federal/state returns.