Comments on: Personal income-tax exemptions explained

By: TurboTaxChristopherT

TurboTaxChristopherT — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:34:10 +0000

Hi – A spouse is never a dependent. What you should do instead is obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for your spouse so you can file a joint return. The ITIN is a substitute for a Social Security Number for non-citizens who need to file a tax return. The attached link has more information. Hope it helps. –Christopher http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc857.html

By: Elena

Elena — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:31:36 +0000

Can I claim an exemption for my husband? He is not a US citizen, lives and works abroad so he has no US income and does not file a return in the US.

By: TurboTax Barb

TurboTax Barb — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:57:37 +0000

Hi Dinah-
Per the IRS rules, a spouse is never considered a dependent. You will still get the $3,800 exemption for him, but he is not considered a dependent. You will not be able to claim Head of Household, as that filing status is for unmarried taxpayers only. You can file jointly with your husband, or file separate returns.
Thanks!
Barb

By: TurboTax Barb

TurboTax Barb — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:56:25 +0000

By: dinah

dinah — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:58:29 +0000

my husband is disabled collecting ss, i work full time. can i use him as a dependet an can i claim head of house hold on my 2012 tax return, i will be using turbo tax as i have for the past 5 years thanks.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:28:37 +0000

I care for my mom and has been living with me, going on 3 years, she gets SSI, $905 monthly and is a U.S. Citizen. My husband is the only one working and we have 2 children. Do I need to charge my mom room and board and her share of utilities to be able to claim her as a dependent?

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:21:12 +0000

Hi Nicki,
Yes as long as he meets the following tests:
-You provided over half of his support
-He did not earn over $3,700 gross income
-He is a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or resident alien
-No one else is claiming him
Thank you,
Lisa Greene-Lewis

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:36:07 +0000

Hi Karen,
Your daughter could not be claimed as a “qualifying child”, because she would not meet the age test of being under 19 at the end of 2010, but you could claim her as a “qualifying relative” as long as she meets the support and gross income test as follows:
-Support – you have to provide over half of her support during the year
-Gross Income – she could not have made over $3,650 in 2010
-She must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or Resident Alien.
If she meets these test you can amend your tax return, but make sure she did not file and claim an exemption for herself and no one else claimed her.

Thank you,
Lisa Greene-Lewis

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:44:08 +0000

In 2010 our 19 year old daughter stayed with us, she was not in college, could we have claimed her on our taxes?

By: nicki

nicki — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:29:02 +0000

Hello, I have a quailifing dependant question….I have a friend down on his luck and hasn’t worked all year due to medical problems can i claim him? He has lived with me all year and I have paid all of his living exspenses

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:52:21 +0000

Hi Meyi,
Unfortunately you cannot claim travel related expenses to and from college. You would only be able to deduct eligible education expenses such as tuition paid, books, and materials directly related to her classes. You can claim her as a dependent if she is under 24 and a full-time student, as long as she doesn’t file a tax return and claim an exemption for herself and no one else claims her.

I hope this helps you!
Thank you,
Lisa Greene-Lewis

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:05:44 +0000

Hi Samsone,
He may qualify as a “qualifying relative” since he doesn’t live with you, but the main test he would have to pass is you would have to had provided over half of his support for 2011. Compare the amount of support you paid to the amount of support he received from other sources, if you provided over half of the support you can claim him as long as no one else can claim him, he made under $3,700, and he is a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, U.S. resident alien, or resident of Mexico or Canada.
Thank you,
Lisa Greene-Lewis

By: Samsone

Samsone — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:34:38 +0000

My 19 year old son lived with his girlfriend in the different state for the whole year. He doesn’t work but I am paying for his medical and dental insurance and sending him some money. Can I claim him as my dependent?

By: meyi

meyi — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:01:36 +0000

My daughter is a freshman in a college out of state can i claim the airline tickets to and from home during school breaks also can i claim hotel expenses during orientation period before school commenced, She is on a full ride scholarship i dont pay tuition except for minor expenses. What can i claim?

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:20:24 +0000

Hi Alex,
That is correct. You can also see if you qualify for itemized deductions vs. standard deductions.

Thank you!
Lisa Lewis

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:04:13 +0000

So, let me see if I understand this correctly. I work and my wife works. No one else claims us as dependants. We are married and filing jointly. We have one child who is one year old and is completely dependent on us (passes the dependant tests). I can claim one exemption for myself, one exemption for my wife, and one exemption for my child, for a total of three exemptions? This is before I even consider our standard deductable and/or other credits? Please respond, because your response could determine the size of my 2011 tax refund. Thank you!!!

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:54:15 +0000

Hi Gina,
He could not be claimed as a “qualifying relative”, because he most likely would not meet the gross income test. Gross income is any income not exempt from tax and it has to be less than $3,700 for 2011. In addition, you generally must provide more than half of a person’s support. You would have to take his SS and retirement into consideration.

Thank you!
Lisa Lewis

By: Gina

Gina — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:04:49 +0000

We recently moved my 88 yr old dad in with us as he has fallen several times and really shouldn’t live alone anymore. He gets SS and a small amount of retirement. My question is, will we be able to claim him as a dependent this year?

By: TurboTaxLisa

TurboTaxLisa — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Hi Sparkle,
First, let me apologize. I responded to your comment on 9/1, but our responses made in September were not posted due to our blog enhancements so I am redoing those responses.

Yes, you would be able to claim him as a dependent on your 2011 tax return. You do not need to make a certain amount to claim him. Just remember you must have a valid social security number for him. You will get a deduction of $3,700 for him and depending on your income you may be able to take advantage of other credits and deductions related to having a dependent.

Congratulations on your baby and new job!
Lisa Lewis

By: Sparkle

Sparkle — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:38:13 +0000

Hi, I start work in september 2011, my son was born March 15 2011… I have not worked all year. i want to know if i would be able to claim him as a dependent on my income tax 2012. Do you have to make a certain amount or been working a certain amount of time in order to claim. How much might i be able to get if i do claim him????????