Tax Tips Who Can I Claim as a Dependent for This Tax Year? Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by TurboTaxBlogTeam Published Mar 29, 2011 - [Updated Jun 12, 2019] 3 min read That is one of the trickiest questions when it comes to preparing your taxes. It’s so difficult because the nature of families has changed so much. Back in the days before divorce was as common as it is today, claiming a dependent was easy. Two parents meant one married filed jointly return that claimed all the children. Today, just having the parents separated and filing two returns can mean audits if you’re not careful! It’s also important to make sure you’re claiming every dependent you can. If this recent economic crisis has taught us anything, it’s that it’s very important to get your taxes right so you get the largest refund you’re entitled to. Last year, the average tax refund was nearly three thousand dollars according to the IRS. Who wouldn’t want an extra $3,000 to help with bills this year? So, let’s discuss how the rules have changed and who you can claim as a dependent for the tax year 2010. Qualifying Dependents By definition, a dependent is someone who is a qualifying child or qualifying relative, which by definition makes it only possible for that dependent to appear on one tax return. When it comes to deciding if someone is a qualifying child or relative, qualifying child takes precedence if the individual satisfies all the requirements.. Qualifying Child To be considered a qualifying child, you need to satisfy four criteria – relationship, residence, age, and support. On relationship, the child must be your child, step child, adopted or foster child, brother or sister, or a descendant of one of these (so nephews count too). They must live with you for more than half the year (residence) and be under the age of nineteen unless they are in college, then the age limit rises to twenty four. The age restriction is removed if they are totally and permanently disabled. Finally, you must provide more than half of his or her financial support during the year. Qualifying Relative To satisfy the requirements to be a qualifying relative, there are six requirements. First, they can’t be a qualifying child. They have to earn less than the personal exemption amount during the year, which for TY2010 was $3,650. You must also provide more than half of the total support. If they are married, they cannot file a joint return with their spouse (this would be double counting). They must be related to you in some way (the laundry list includes every conceivable familial relationship you can think of) or live with you for the entire year. Finally, they have to be a citizen or resident alien of the United States, Canada, or Mexico. As you can see, many of the rules exist so that one dependent cannot be claimed on two returns. Finally, we leave with this word of warning. This is also one of the areas where being accurate is crucial. If you claim someone who is already being claimed by another taxpayer, you’ll get audited regardless of which tax bracket you’re in. This makes it especially important for divorced parents to communicate with one another. Previous Post How to Find Your Tax Refund Next Post X Common Mistakes on Tax Returns & How to Avoid… Written by TurboTaxBlogTeam More from TurboTaxBlogTeam 203 responses to “Who Can I Claim as a Dependent for This Tax Year?” « Older Comments Newer Comments » Hello, I filed head of household through you Gus last year because my husband had been incarcerated 4 previous years. He came home January of 2014 . He has not worked all year but I have. November of 2014 my son and I moved out and am currently working on divorce. I know I get to claim my husband this year but is there anything I need to do or know because of when I moved out seeing it was just November? Reply My sister in laws boyfriend lives with me he is 18 but enrolled in school. Can I claim him as a dependent? Reply I am so confused. My 17 year old daughter made more than 3,900 dollars last year-yet pays nothing in the way of food, or housing–I also paid fees for Running Start tuition at a community college for her and books,etc…and now I find out that not only can I not claim her as a dependent but ALSO can’t claim any educational expenses either-since she’s not a “qualifying dependent”?! I’m so frustrated. Any ideas or advice? Reply Can i still claim my son as a dependent and claim head of household now that he is 19 but i support the household totally,he worked about 2 months and i am sure he only earned about $900.00dlrs.,i figure i can still claim head of household or still claim him as a qualifying relative.This year i went to a loan company and took out a loan on my taxes of 500.00 and when it came time to have them figure my taxes they said i owed 479.00 to the irs cause i lost head of household and my son was 19 and i cant claim him as a dependent but i read the qualifying relative and he is still claimable according to all the criteria…..also i had a friend that i told this to and he told me to get my w-4s back cause they were screwing me somehow and when i went to go get them they got real defensive about handing them over and said this guy was going to get me in trouble..i dont know what to do…please help me Reply I have a son who turned 20 in sept 2014 went to school part time an worked bout 4 to 5 months throughout the year can I claim him on my taxes an he also file his own taxes Reply Hi I was wanting to know if my boyfriend has been supporting my three kids and myself for more then half the year which would be the best filing status for him, there my kids not his but he been the one supporting them and I didn’t work all 2014, would he be able to file me as well?? Reply I have a question my kids father is wanting me to let his sister or his mother claim them this year. he himself has not worked this year and I did. It is not through courts for him claim or anyone else for that matter. they have spent half the year because the kids go over to their dads every other week. what should I do should I claim them because I was the one that worked? Reply OK I in the process of moving I have not files my taxes yet…..when I do file doi use my old address or do I use my old one and if I can use my new one can’t Ifile head of household at my new address or if Iuse my new address can iI get in trouble for using the new address? Reply My daughter is 22 and still lives at home so I’ll talk to her on my tax return but now she can’t file hers because they keep getting rejected why and how do I fix it Reply Can my ex husband claim my daughter that I had from a previous marriage if he has not been supporting her and we are no longer married? Reply I’ve had legal guardianship over my stepdaughter since 2009. My question is: my husband (her dad) lived in the home from Jan 202 until July 2014, he didn’t work full time job but went to school full time and I worked full time. He said I can’t claim her because she is not my child but I’m the one who has and still is supporting her 100%, I don’t get help from state or child support from either parent and my legal guardianship is still in effect. Can I claim her on my taxes when I file married but separately? Reply My 13 yr old daughter moved in with dad in August 2014. We split when she was two. She always lived with me and he always paid child support. I would claim her one year and he would claim her the next. When she moved in with him, he waived my child support as long as I provide insurance and pay half the medical bills. I want to know if I should claim her for 2014 since she lived with me til August. Reply I babysit children in my home….my question is, if i only babysat a child for 5 months doi still have to claim that income since it was less than 6 months of the year? Reply Can i claim my boyfriend and his son on my taxes if he has had no income all year and i payed 100% of the bills? Reply You can claim the boyfriend but probably not his child….the child’s mother will more than likely claim him Reply Hi my name is ciara Hughes and I’m a single parent with a one year old son I was wondering if I’d be able to file my son even though I haven’t worked over three months on my first job ever nor have I made over 2000 dollars Reply Yes, as long as you worked at all in 2014. Reply I have a very important question I got divorce 8years ago after we got divorce my ex husband has been claiming my daughter since I wasn’t working. But I just recently got married my daughter always lived under my roof. The divorce paper state that if I don’t make more then $15k a year I can’t claim her only my ex husband question is now that I’m married can my husband claim her. Since he makes way more money then that? Please help Reply Hi made under 6,000 dollars the whole year. I have little or no taxes coming out. My question is this past June my 2 gkids 5&8 started living with me. Will I be able to get a refund n Reply My sister left her husband house (they will get divorce soon) and moved in with me since August 20th. She does not work. Her husband only covered her medical insurance but rest of the other expenses I have been taking care. Can I file my taxes as head of household ? Reply My son is 26 years old he has a wife can I claim my son and his wife in my taxes p they did not work last year. We help out with everthing Reply We have been non custodial parent, my daughter is in college. She “moved in” with me in April 2014 and turned 19 May 2014. She lives at college but stays with me, uses my address on her driver’s license, I pay car insurance on her, medical bills, perscription costs, provide some $ every month, pay her utility. She works PRN, sporatic as a product demonstrator for extra money. The custodial parent said I cannot claim her unless she (custodial parent) gives written permission. The custodial parent has not provided support although my daughter will go over ocassionally to visit or spend the night. Am I allowed to claim her on taxes this year? Thanks. Reply My wife and I adopted my wifes biological daughter from her ex-mother-in-law. This was finalized in Sept 2014. We have had physical custody and provided 100% support since July 9th 2014. I understand this is only 176 days of support through Dec 31st 2014. The ex-mother-in-law only had physical custody and provided support through June 1st 2014 when our daughter went to stay with her biological father (brother through adoption lol) because he was supposed to adopt her but backed out and sent her back to her Nana’s (the ex-mother-in-law) where she stayed for 2 days before coming to stay with us. Who should be claiming her? We have supported her for 176 days, her biological father had her for 37 days, and her nana had her for the remaining 150 days. We have the plane ticket from that day on July 9th when she came to us and never came back as well as our 14 yr old daughters testimony that she was with her father through the month in June for the purpose of him adopting her. What are we legally able to do? We will probably be filing as soon as returns are accepted so we would most likely be first to file. Reply I am naturalised American,who was sponsored by my mothers husband. I am living with them and I am financially depended on them because I don’t work,due to my treatment ( I have a cancer). From the begginig of this year I was working a little,but since I was diagnosed I had to stop working. I haven’t check how much I’ve earned pass this year,but probably it was a little more than 4000$.My step father is co-paying for my treatment. Still have to pay few thousand dollars to cover the treatment. In a meaningwhile I got married with foreign girl,who will be in a process for green card. I decided to describe all this situation,because I was told,that my step father was going to pay the rest of the treatment and then diduct this from his tax,but since I got married he cannot do it and because I got married now in. I will be very appreciate for any informations which could help me in my case. Thank you for your time and your attencion. Reply Hi, If your step father was able to claim you on his taxes as a qualifying relative, he would be able to deduct the expenses on his taxes as long as he provided over half of your support, however it looks like he won’t meet the other test which would require you to make under $3,950 so he would not be able to claim you. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply I’m just trying to figure out since my husband works in New York and I stay in Ohio and take care of my cousin how would we claim our taxes when he’s only down here three months out of the year can you still claim us right cuz he’s sending us money and taking care of us???? Reply My daughter is 22, a full time student, lives with two roommates and receives SSI. As she is still with me a good portion of the time and I still provide more than half her care-food, clothing, furniture, transportation , etc. can I claim her as a dependent on my taxes? Reply Sorry-most important detail-she is legally blind- Reply Hi I have 3 kids from my previous marriage I had always claimed them can my husband claim all of us this year? Reply My kids came from india last year(1st November 2013) so i couldn’t claim them as a dependent. now they stayed more than 6 months(11/1/2013 to 8/16/2014) with me, can i file a claim now for 2013? Reply My son who turned 22 in July started a job after he finished college in June. Can I still claim him on my tax returns since i provided all his support for six months of this year. College tuition etc. He will probably make almost 40,000 from his job in 2014. Reply I WILL BE GETTING MARRIED NEXT MONTH TO A NONRESIDENT AND WILL BE FILING FOR HIS TEMPORARY RESIDENCY. CAN I CLAIM HIM ON MY TAXES NEXT YEAR Reply Im a military deployed in Japan on 2010-2013 got married on 2012 with two child. My question is can i file an amend for the year 2012 since they are here in the US now and has a SSn? We live in Japan all together since 2012 and they do have ITIN that time but when we filed our tax we didn’t get anything for my wife and stepchildren. I filed married joint since my wife don’t have work. Reply My wife earns less than 3000$ per year and a US Citizen. Can I claim her as dependent. We were thinking whether this $3000 per year job is helping us any way. I earn around $90K and thinking we will save better if she does not work at all. Please advice whether we are right. Thank you. Reply Your wife is never your dependent. If you file MFJ, you will have an exemption for her and one for you + one for each dependent. Mike, EA Reply This May I will finish my 2nd year of college. I am considering taking a year off to work and save money before transferring to a University. Because my father claims me as a dependent, I qualify as an in-state student for the University I want to attend. However, I am 19 and if I do that then I won’t be a student in the fall. I will have been a student for the 5 months of January-May, but if the school year ends early to mid May is that still considered a full 5 months? Want to ensure I understand the consequences of the decision. Reply Yes, part of May (even a day) counts as a month: Student defined. To qualify as a student, your child must be, during some part of each of any 5 calendar months of the year: . A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff, course of study, and a regularly enrolled student body at the school, or . A student taking a full-time, on-farm training course given by a school described in (1), or by a state, county, or local government agency. The 5 calendar months do not have to be consecutive. Good luck with the studies, Mike, EA Reply Im 18 years old working a part time job ive only been working for 3 months. No one else is working in my house of 5. My parents and my 2 little sisters, but my dad gets a small check once every month only a couple hundred under $700. Can I claim my sisters? Reply Jada – you are asking about qualifying relatives. Here’s the rules: 1) They must not be your qualifying child – Okay, they’re your sisters & parents. 2) They must have lived with you as a member of your household all year, or be a brother, sister, parent or a number of other “qualifying relatives” 3) Their gross income must be less than 3,950 (2014) – so your Dad will not qualify. 4) You generally must provide more than half of a person’s total support during the calendar year. You need to add up the entire cost of the support of each person you want to claim. This includes “lodging” which your parents may be providing? Use the worksheet #3-1 in IRS Publication 17 to help figure this out. Good luck – I hope all them including your Mom are your qualifying relatives! Mike, EA Reply I have a son his 19 years old and he lived with me in 2013,he graduated high school in June 2013 can i claim him as dependent ? Reply Ikrom, Yes – He was 19 but a student for at least part of any five months in 2013 Reply can i claim my parents on my return if they both receive ss benefits. dad got 10,104.00 and mom 4512.00. we all live together. thx Reply Can I claim my 70 yr old blind disabled sister who lives with me and can no longer take care of herself? Reply My kids been claim from tee he grandmother since their were born .. n the irs ia asking for proff n she doesn’t have all the papers to meet their needs can some one else claim now? Reply My husband is in basic training. We were married in 2013 and he made well over ten thousand dollars last year. He was a fulltime student from january to may. He turned twenty in december. His mom is trying to claim him. Can she? Reply My sons mothers current husband claimed my son this year. We have a joint custody and I have claimed him since he was born. Since their married my tax preparer has told me he can, but she doesn’t work and I have him jointly, how can this be possible? Reply CAN I CLAIM MY SISTER WHILE SHE IS WORKING AS MY DEPENDENT ON MY TAX RETURN? Reply Only if: 1. she is not a qualifying child for another 2. she earned less than 3900, 3. you provide over 1/2 her support for the year She must not file a MFJ return, except to possibly claim a refund AND was she a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico Reply I graduated high school in may 2013 while I was still 18. I did not go to college in the fall but I took 2 dual enrollment college classes in high school my senior year. I turned 19 in sept and still live with my mom and not in school. Can she still claim me? Reply Yes, if you were a full-time student and under age 24. Note the IRS definition of a full-time student: To qualify as a student, your child must be, during some part of each of any 5 calendar months of the year: A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff, course of study, and a regularly enrolled student body at the school, or on-the-farm training. Mike, EA Reply My daughter is a full-time grad student (age 22) and was married in August. Can she and her spouse (22) file “married filing jointly” if they are 1)residents of different states (PA and MD) and living apart at different schools (PA and TX)and 2) both parents claim them on the respective parents’ tax returns as dependents (therefore my daughter and son-in-law would not be allowed to claim an exemption for themselves on their own return)? Reply Linda – you’ve been studying! Correct, as long as they did not provide over 1/2 of their own support, and do not claim a personal exemption. They could even file MFJ if the only purpose of the return is to claim a refund of withheld or estimated taxes. Good luck, Mike, EA Reply Important question please Help!!! I have had my two children full time since June 11th 2013 and stated that to the court when i went to file for custody and i got joint custody all rights in September 2013… SHE only received joint custody (visitation only) now she is trying to claim them saying i didnt have placement until september when ive had them full time since june i should be eligible for child tax credit this year ? I earned $1,300 for federal and only $378 for state ?!? HELP PLEASE THANK YOU Reply BL, I’ll try to keep this short . . . The IRS does NOT care what the courts say. Per the IRS, the custodial parent is the parent with whom the child spends the most nights. If the non-custodial parent claims the child and files first, the other parent will have to paper file their return. In the end you will win provide you can provide clear proof. Keep a log with receipts, pictures, etc. Good luck, Mike, EA Reply can some one claim me as a dependent if I am disable and on disability? I am 58. Reply You must meet the requirements for a qualifying child or qualifying relative – see IRS pub 17 or 501. Being disabled merely avoids the age rule for a qualifying child. Best to you, Mike, EA Reply My boyfriend has full custody of his sons but his mother has guardianship of them and does not file taxes can my boyfriend still claim them as a dependent on his taxes he gives his mother 200 dollars a month to get the boys what they need we r confused he always claimed when he got divorced and his ex wife had custody but now this is a different situation and it has us wondering who claims them if anyone does Reply Belinda, A parent always has first right to claim their child’s exemption. HOWEVER, you say they live with his mother? For Dad to claim them, they must have lived with him for over 1/2 the year. Stick together, get a home for the kids, and form a family – things will get better. Good luck!! Mike, EA Reply My boyfriend has full custody of his two sons but his mom has guardianship of them can my boyfriend still claim on his taxes Reply my husband has been the only one who worked this past tax period. I have been a stay at home mom to our four children. Can he as head of household claim me as his wife and our four kids as a dependent on our joint tax return. I am not a kid but would I fall under relative as his wife. Reply Sandra – four children – you worked as hard as he did!!! Okay, you’re married, you’re not a dependent, you’re a spouse. When you file MFJ you will get 6 exemptions – 1 for hubby, 1 for you, 1 for each child. He is not head of household – file MFJ. Bless you! Mike, EA Reply I have been claimed by my roommate for the last 3 years I had no income. This past year I worked for the last 5 months of the year and made 4100.00. She paid all the bills and still does and I still live here. Reply Dana, things are getting better – you got a job! However, since you earned over $3,900, you no longer qualify as a qualifying relative, so your roommate can not claim you. Enjoy the income, Mike, EA Reply I have a question, How did dana’s roommate claim her if they aren’t relative’s. My boyfriend has been paying my bills for years b/c I have a disability, and haven’t been able to keep a job.how can he put me down as a dependent. Someone said he can’t bc we aren’t married? is that true. Please help, Hello! I have a question. My husband have 2 kids with he’s ex partner of 4 year ago. He pay monthly for the kids. She’s married and have more kids. When my husband got Separate she told him to use the the SSN of the kids for dependents. Which he use to give her money for the taxes. Now all of sudden she wants to use the ssn# to Let them borrow to someone else. What can we do? Reply Anna, The IRS says the custodial parent is the one with whom the child spends the most nights. The custodial parent has the right to the exemption. The custodial parent may assign that right to the non-custodial parent each year, or for several years by using form 8332. For someone else to claim the children, the children would have to be their qualifying relative – they would have to live with that person over 1/2 the year. If you suspect tax fraud, report it on form 3949-A. Tax Cheats cost us all! Mike, EA Reply Our divorce decree states that my ex and I each claim one child on our tax returns until there is only one eligible child to claim. At that point we are to alternate claiming. There would only be one year this would occur – this year. My ex already filed and claimed our son and didn’t tell me until after he filed. I have custody of our son and he lived with me the entire year. Neither of us can claim him next year. Is there any recourse?? Reply Yep! The IRS doesn’t care what the courts say. If the child was with you for over 1/2 the year (and met all the other requirements – age, etc) then you are the custodial parent and you get the exemption. Your only recourse is to claim your child, and paper file (efile will be rejected). Provide a statement explaining that you are the custodial parent. In the end you will win this one. Mike, EA Reply I only worked 2 months and I’m claiming my son as a dependent could I still file Reply Cassie, do you meet the requirements? Did your son live with you over 1/2 the year? Is he under age 19? He is not filing a joint return? He is a US citizen or meets the resident test? You probably can, however who would receive the better tax benefit if you only worked 2 months? Without more information, I can not be any help. 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Hello, I filed head of household through you Gus last year because my husband had been incarcerated 4 previous years. He came home January of 2014 . He has not worked all year but I have. November of 2014 my son and I moved out and am currently working on divorce. I know I get to claim my husband this year but is there anything I need to do or know because of when I moved out seeing it was just November? Reply
My sister in laws boyfriend lives with me he is 18 but enrolled in school. Can I claim him as a dependent? Reply
I am so confused. My 17 year old daughter made more than 3,900 dollars last year-yet pays nothing in the way of food, or housing–I also paid fees for Running Start tuition at a community college for her and books,etc…and now I find out that not only can I not claim her as a dependent but ALSO can’t claim any educational expenses either-since she’s not a “qualifying dependent”?! I’m so frustrated. Any ideas or advice? Reply
Can i still claim my son as a dependent and claim head of household now that he is 19 but i support the household totally,he worked about 2 months and i am sure he only earned about $900.00dlrs.,i figure i can still claim head of household or still claim him as a qualifying relative.This year i went to a loan company and took out a loan on my taxes of 500.00 and when it came time to have them figure my taxes they said i owed 479.00 to the irs cause i lost head of household and my son was 19 and i cant claim him as a dependent but i read the qualifying relative and he is still claimable according to all the criteria…..also i had a friend that i told this to and he told me to get my w-4s back cause they were screwing me somehow and when i went to go get them they got real defensive about handing them over and said this guy was going to get me in trouble..i dont know what to do…please help me Reply
I have a son who turned 20 in sept 2014 went to school part time an worked bout 4 to 5 months throughout the year can I claim him on my taxes an he also file his own taxes Reply
Hi I was wanting to know if my boyfriend has been supporting my three kids and myself for more then half the year which would be the best filing status for him, there my kids not his but he been the one supporting them and I didn’t work all 2014, would he be able to file me as well?? Reply
I have a question my kids father is wanting me to let his sister or his mother claim them this year. he himself has not worked this year and I did. It is not through courts for him claim or anyone else for that matter. they have spent half the year because the kids go over to their dads every other week. what should I do should I claim them because I was the one that worked? Reply
OK I in the process of moving I have not files my taxes yet…..when I do file doi use my old address or do I use my old one and if I can use my new one can’t Ifile head of household at my new address or if Iuse my new address can iI get in trouble for using the new address? Reply
My daughter is 22 and still lives at home so I’ll talk to her on my tax return but now she can’t file hers because they keep getting rejected why and how do I fix it Reply
Can my ex husband claim my daughter that I had from a previous marriage if he has not been supporting her and we are no longer married? Reply
I’ve had legal guardianship over my stepdaughter since 2009. My question is: my husband (her dad) lived in the home from Jan 202 until July 2014, he didn’t work full time job but went to school full time and I worked full time. He said I can’t claim her because she is not my child but I’m the one who has and still is supporting her 100%, I don’t get help from state or child support from either parent and my legal guardianship is still in effect. Can I claim her on my taxes when I file married but separately? Reply
My 13 yr old daughter moved in with dad in August 2014. We split when she was two. She always lived with me and he always paid child support. I would claim her one year and he would claim her the next. When she moved in with him, he waived my child support as long as I provide insurance and pay half the medical bills. I want to know if I should claim her for 2014 since she lived with me til August. Reply
I babysit children in my home….my question is, if i only babysat a child for 5 months doi still have to claim that income since it was less than 6 months of the year? Reply
Can i claim my boyfriend and his son on my taxes if he has had no income all year and i payed 100% of the bills? Reply
You can claim the boyfriend but probably not his child….the child’s mother will more than likely claim him Reply
Hi my name is ciara Hughes and I’m a single parent with a one year old son I was wondering if I’d be able to file my son even though I haven’t worked over three months on my first job ever nor have I made over 2000 dollars Reply
I have a very important question I got divorce 8years ago after we got divorce my ex husband has been claiming my daughter since I wasn’t working. But I just recently got married my daughter always lived under my roof. The divorce paper state that if I don’t make more then $15k a year I can’t claim her only my ex husband question is now that I’m married can my husband claim her. Since he makes way more money then that? Please help Reply
Hi made under 6,000 dollars the whole year. I have little or no taxes coming out. My question is this past June my 2 gkids 5&8 started living with me. Will I be able to get a refund n Reply
My sister left her husband house (they will get divorce soon) and moved in with me since August 20th. She does not work. Her husband only covered her medical insurance but rest of the other expenses I have been taking care. Can I file my taxes as head of household ? Reply
My son is 26 years old he has a wife can I claim my son and his wife in my taxes p they did not work last year. We help out with everthing Reply
We have been non custodial parent, my daughter is in college. She “moved in” with me in April 2014 and turned 19 May 2014. She lives at college but stays with me, uses my address on her driver’s license, I pay car insurance on her, medical bills, perscription costs, provide some $ every month, pay her utility. She works PRN, sporatic as a product demonstrator for extra money. The custodial parent said I cannot claim her unless she (custodial parent) gives written permission. The custodial parent has not provided support although my daughter will go over ocassionally to visit or spend the night. Am I allowed to claim her on taxes this year? Thanks. Reply
My wife and I adopted my wifes biological daughter from her ex-mother-in-law. This was finalized in Sept 2014. We have had physical custody and provided 100% support since July 9th 2014. I understand this is only 176 days of support through Dec 31st 2014. The ex-mother-in-law only had physical custody and provided support through June 1st 2014 when our daughter went to stay with her biological father (brother through adoption lol) because he was supposed to adopt her but backed out and sent her back to her Nana’s (the ex-mother-in-law) where she stayed for 2 days before coming to stay with us. Who should be claiming her? We have supported her for 176 days, her biological father had her for 37 days, and her nana had her for the remaining 150 days. We have the plane ticket from that day on July 9th when she came to us and never came back as well as our 14 yr old daughters testimony that she was with her father through the month in June for the purpose of him adopting her. What are we legally able to do? We will probably be filing as soon as returns are accepted so we would most likely be first to file. Reply
I am naturalised American,who was sponsored by my mothers husband. I am living with them and I am financially depended on them because I don’t work,due to my treatment ( I have a cancer). From the begginig of this year I was working a little,but since I was diagnosed I had to stop working. I haven’t check how much I’ve earned pass this year,but probably it was a little more than 4000$.My step father is co-paying for my treatment. Still have to pay few thousand dollars to cover the treatment. In a meaningwhile I got married with foreign girl,who will be in a process for green card. I decided to describe all this situation,because I was told,that my step father was going to pay the rest of the treatment and then diduct this from his tax,but since I got married he cannot do it and because I got married now in. I will be very appreciate for any informations which could help me in my case. Thank you for your time and your attencion. Reply
Hi, If your step father was able to claim you on his taxes as a qualifying relative, he would be able to deduct the expenses on his taxes as long as he provided over half of your support, however it looks like he won’t meet the other test which would require you to make under $3,950 so he would not be able to claim you. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
I’m just trying to figure out since my husband works in New York and I stay in Ohio and take care of my cousin how would we claim our taxes when he’s only down here three months out of the year can you still claim us right cuz he’s sending us money and taking care of us???? Reply
My daughter is 22, a full time student, lives with two roommates and receives SSI. As she is still with me a good portion of the time and I still provide more than half her care-food, clothing, furniture, transportation , etc. can I claim her as a dependent on my taxes? Reply
Hi I have 3 kids from my previous marriage I had always claimed them can my husband claim all of us this year? Reply
My kids came from india last year(1st November 2013) so i couldn’t claim them as a dependent. now they stayed more than 6 months(11/1/2013 to 8/16/2014) with me, can i file a claim now for 2013? Reply
My son who turned 22 in July started a job after he finished college in June. Can I still claim him on my tax returns since i provided all his support for six months of this year. College tuition etc. He will probably make almost 40,000 from his job in 2014. Reply
I WILL BE GETTING MARRIED NEXT MONTH TO A NONRESIDENT AND WILL BE FILING FOR HIS TEMPORARY RESIDENCY. CAN I CLAIM HIM ON MY TAXES NEXT YEAR Reply
Im a military deployed in Japan on 2010-2013 got married on 2012 with two child. My question is can i file an amend for the year 2012 since they are here in the US now and has a SSn? We live in Japan all together since 2012 and they do have ITIN that time but when we filed our tax we didn’t get anything for my wife and stepchildren. I filed married joint since my wife don’t have work. Reply
My wife earns less than 3000$ per year and a US Citizen. Can I claim her as dependent. We were thinking whether this $3000 per year job is helping us any way. I earn around $90K and thinking we will save better if she does not work at all. Please advice whether we are right. Thank you. Reply
Your wife is never your dependent. If you file MFJ, you will have an exemption for her and one for you + one for each dependent. Mike, EA Reply
This May I will finish my 2nd year of college. I am considering taking a year off to work and save money before transferring to a University. Because my father claims me as a dependent, I qualify as an in-state student for the University I want to attend. However, I am 19 and if I do that then I won’t be a student in the fall. I will have been a student for the 5 months of January-May, but if the school year ends early to mid May is that still considered a full 5 months? Want to ensure I understand the consequences of the decision. Reply
Yes, part of May (even a day) counts as a month: Student defined. To qualify as a student, your child must be, during some part of each of any 5 calendar months of the year: . A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff, course of study, and a regularly enrolled student body at the school, or . A student taking a full-time, on-farm training course given by a school described in (1), or by a state, county, or local government agency. The 5 calendar months do not have to be consecutive. Good luck with the studies, Mike, EA Reply
Im 18 years old working a part time job ive only been working for 3 months. No one else is working in my house of 5. My parents and my 2 little sisters, but my dad gets a small check once every month only a couple hundred under $700. Can I claim my sisters? Reply
Jada – you are asking about qualifying relatives. Here’s the rules: 1) They must not be your qualifying child – Okay, they’re your sisters & parents. 2) They must have lived with you as a member of your household all year, or be a brother, sister, parent or a number of other “qualifying relatives” 3) Their gross income must be less than 3,950 (2014) – so your Dad will not qualify. 4) You generally must provide more than half of a person’s total support during the calendar year. You need to add up the entire cost of the support of each person you want to claim. This includes “lodging” which your parents may be providing? Use the worksheet #3-1 in IRS Publication 17 to help figure this out. Good luck – I hope all them including your Mom are your qualifying relatives! Mike, EA Reply
I have a son his 19 years old and he lived with me in 2013,he graduated high school in June 2013 can i claim him as dependent ? Reply
can i claim my parents on my return if they both receive ss benefits. dad got 10,104.00 and mom 4512.00. we all live together. thx Reply
Can I claim my 70 yr old blind disabled sister who lives with me and can no longer take care of herself? Reply
My kids been claim from tee he grandmother since their were born .. n the irs ia asking for proff n she doesn’t have all the papers to meet their needs can some one else claim now? Reply
My husband is in basic training. We were married in 2013 and he made well over ten thousand dollars last year. He was a fulltime student from january to may. He turned twenty in december. His mom is trying to claim him. Can she? Reply
My sons mothers current husband claimed my son this year. We have a joint custody and I have claimed him since he was born. Since their married my tax preparer has told me he can, but she doesn’t work and I have him jointly, how can this be possible? Reply
Only if: 1. she is not a qualifying child for another 2. she earned less than 3900, 3. you provide over 1/2 her support for the year She must not file a MFJ return, except to possibly claim a refund AND was she a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico Reply
I graduated high school in may 2013 while I was still 18. I did not go to college in the fall but I took 2 dual enrollment college classes in high school my senior year. I turned 19 in sept and still live with my mom and not in school. Can she still claim me? Reply
Yes, if you were a full-time student and under age 24. Note the IRS definition of a full-time student: To qualify as a student, your child must be, during some part of each of any 5 calendar months of the year: A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff, course of study, and a regularly enrolled student body at the school, or on-the-farm training. Mike, EA Reply
My daughter is a full-time grad student (age 22) and was married in August. Can she and her spouse (22) file “married filing jointly” if they are 1)residents of different states (PA and MD) and living apart at different schools (PA and TX)and 2) both parents claim them on the respective parents’ tax returns as dependents (therefore my daughter and son-in-law would not be allowed to claim an exemption for themselves on their own return)? Reply
Linda – you’ve been studying! Correct, as long as they did not provide over 1/2 of their own support, and do not claim a personal exemption. They could even file MFJ if the only purpose of the return is to claim a refund of withheld or estimated taxes. Good luck, Mike, EA Reply
Important question please Help!!! I have had my two children full time since June 11th 2013 and stated that to the court when i went to file for custody and i got joint custody all rights in September 2013… SHE only received joint custody (visitation only) now she is trying to claim them saying i didnt have placement until september when ive had them full time since june i should be eligible for child tax credit this year ? I earned $1,300 for federal and only $378 for state ?!? HELP PLEASE THANK YOU Reply
BL, I’ll try to keep this short . . . The IRS does NOT care what the courts say. Per the IRS, the custodial parent is the parent with whom the child spends the most nights. If the non-custodial parent claims the child and files first, the other parent will have to paper file their return. In the end you will win provide you can provide clear proof. Keep a log with receipts, pictures, etc. Good luck, Mike, EA Reply
You must meet the requirements for a qualifying child or qualifying relative – see IRS pub 17 or 501. Being disabled merely avoids the age rule for a qualifying child. Best to you, Mike, EA Reply
My boyfriend has full custody of his sons but his mother has guardianship of them and does not file taxes can my boyfriend still claim them as a dependent on his taxes he gives his mother 200 dollars a month to get the boys what they need we r confused he always claimed when he got divorced and his ex wife had custody but now this is a different situation and it has us wondering who claims them if anyone does Reply
Belinda, A parent always has first right to claim their child’s exemption. HOWEVER, you say they live with his mother? For Dad to claim them, they must have lived with him for over 1/2 the year. Stick together, get a home for the kids, and form a family – things will get better. Good luck!! Mike, EA Reply
My boyfriend has full custody of his two sons but his mom has guardianship of them can my boyfriend still claim on his taxes Reply
my husband has been the only one who worked this past tax period. I have been a stay at home mom to our four children. Can he as head of household claim me as his wife and our four kids as a dependent on our joint tax return. I am not a kid but would I fall under relative as his wife. Reply
Sandra – four children – you worked as hard as he did!!! Okay, you’re married, you’re not a dependent, you’re a spouse. When you file MFJ you will get 6 exemptions – 1 for hubby, 1 for you, 1 for each child. He is not head of household – file MFJ. Bless you! Mike, EA Reply
I have been claimed by my roommate for the last 3 years I had no income. This past year I worked for the last 5 months of the year and made 4100.00. She paid all the bills and still does and I still live here. Reply
Dana, things are getting better – you got a job! However, since you earned over $3,900, you no longer qualify as a qualifying relative, so your roommate can not claim you. Enjoy the income, Mike, EA Reply
I have a question, How did dana’s roommate claim her if they aren’t relative’s. My boyfriend has been paying my bills for years b/c I have a disability, and haven’t been able to keep a job.how can he put me down as a dependent. Someone said he can’t bc we aren’t married? is that true. Please help,
Hello! I have a question. My husband have 2 kids with he’s ex partner of 4 year ago. He pay monthly for the kids. She’s married and have more kids. When my husband got Separate she told him to use the the SSN of the kids for dependents. Which he use to give her money for the taxes. Now all of sudden she wants to use the ssn# to Let them borrow to someone else. What can we do? Reply
Anna, The IRS says the custodial parent is the one with whom the child spends the most nights. The custodial parent has the right to the exemption. The custodial parent may assign that right to the non-custodial parent each year, or for several years by using form 8332. For someone else to claim the children, the children would have to be their qualifying relative – they would have to live with that person over 1/2 the year. If you suspect tax fraud, report it on form 3949-A. Tax Cheats cost us all! Mike, EA Reply
Our divorce decree states that my ex and I each claim one child on our tax returns until there is only one eligible child to claim. At that point we are to alternate claiming. There would only be one year this would occur – this year. My ex already filed and claimed our son and didn’t tell me until after he filed. I have custody of our son and he lived with me the entire year. Neither of us can claim him next year. Is there any recourse?? Reply
Yep! The IRS doesn’t care what the courts say. If the child was with you for over 1/2 the year (and met all the other requirements – age, etc) then you are the custodial parent and you get the exemption. Your only recourse is to claim your child, and paper file (efile will be rejected). Provide a statement explaining that you are the custodial parent. In the end you will win this one. Mike, EA Reply
Cassie, do you meet the requirements? Did your son live with you over 1/2 the year? Is he under age 19? He is not filing a joint return? He is a US citizen or meets the resident test? You probably can, however who would receive the better tax benefit if you only worked 2 months? Without more information, I can not be any help. Mike, EA Reply