I had a foster kid for 10 months in 2016. Do I claim them on my taxes?

[DanielV01 · Accepted solution]

Yes you may claim a foster child.  It is a qualifying relationship that can qualify you for both Child Tax Credit as well as Earned Income Credit.  Keep in mind that you may be asked to provide proof that the child was placed in your home legally by the foster care agency of the state and that they were with you (and not their parents or other relatives who may potentially claim them) for more than half of the year.  Bear in mind also, that, if your return is rejected electronically, it is likely that the child was claimed electronically by someone else.  If this is the case, you would need to mail in your return to claim the child, including the information I mention above to speed up the claim.

Here is a useful page provided by TurboTax on this subject:  Click Here