Can I amend my tax returns to remove a dependent so they can collect a stimulus check? Regardless of the reason can I amend my returns and remove a dependant?

[macuser_22]

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@DK791 wrote:

Is it possible to receive the stimulus payments for an adult child who is dependent?  Or possibly have her receive them? She has been claimed as such in the past.  For 2019 taxes her parents received the $500 tax credit. 

She has had no income for at least the past three years, and meets all of the requirements for dependency.

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No.  A dependent can be no older than 16 at the end of 2020 for the stimulus.

The most that an adult depended can get you is the $500 other dependent credit of all the requirements are met.  If not related then they must have lived with you all year.

---Tests to be a Qualifying Relative (& Unrelated Persons)---
(Must meet ALL of these tests to be a dependent)

1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer.

2. The person either must be related to you, or must live with you all year (all 365 days as a member of your household - There are exceptions for temporary absences such as school, illness, business, vacation, military service).

3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,300 (tax-exempt income, such as certain social security benefits, is not included in gross income)

4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support** for the year.

5. The person is not filing a joint return.

In any case, the person must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico

The above is simplified; see IRS Publication 501 for full information.
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf

** Pub 501 Worksheet 2 for determining support
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2020_publink1000292527

[NCperson]

if the person meets the tests to be a dependent, then no, they can not apply for stimulus. 

here is the issue.

CAN this person be claimed on a someone else's tax return.  The critical question is not whether they were claimed, it's CAN they be claimed.

if they CAN be claimed then they are not eligible for any of the 3 stimulus payments.  Now, the person who claims them (called the 'taxpayer') can receive the 3rd stimulus IF they claim the dependent. But if they choose not to claim them, the taxpayer doesn;'t get the stimulus and neither does the dependent,

From the taxpayer's perspective, they always have the option to claim the dependent.  They do not have to and the IRS doesn't care if they don't.

However, from the dependent's perspective, since the question is CAN someone claim they, the answer doesn't change whether or not the taxpayer claim them.

make sense? 

[DennyBriBri]

I assisted my 18 year old granddaughter to file her 2020 tax return to get EIP 1 and EIP 2.  We checked No to "Can someone (such as your parent) claim you as a dependent".  She received her refund.

Her mother wants to claim her daughter for purposes a court cash with X husband.  How do I amend the granddaughter's tax return to say she can be claimed and return the EIP payments?

[ThomasM125]

If the mother could claim the child as her dependent, then the child should have indicated that on her tax return.  If not, then you should leave the situation alone.

The child can file an amended return in TurboTax for no fee and change the dependent status and pay back the stimulus money with the amended return.

[lcolantuoni14]

Can my son get stimulus if he was dependent college student but made more than 4200?  

And thre is  no place to put in my accnt info on 2020 1040 - i do not get refund or owe - i am only doing 202 becuase IRS said to do it to provide tax info to them and no way to put in bank info and what they have on file is wrong so they say to correct it on 1040 - why doesnt turbotax ahve a way to put it on?  Can  I print off 1040 and white out the xxxs in banking area and put in my bank info? 

[KathrynG3]

Possibly. The first two stimulus payments did not cover dependents 17 years and older. However, if your son does meet the IRS rules as independent, he may be able to claim the stimulus payments on his own return by filing as single, not being able to be claimed as a dependent. 

The IRS has an easy quiz to check here: Whom May I Claim as a Dependent? | Internal Revenue Service

For more information, see: What does "financially support another person" mean?

@lcolantuoni14

[Chobeegirl2]

Because they had planned on staying with me for a good long time but it ended up where they only stayed four months

[Chobeegirl2]

They keep having to move so I guess I actually did help them for about a year and two months. They really could use this money for rent 

[xmasbaby0]

@Chobeegirl2 Way back in March you posted a question pertaining to a friend who stayed with you for awhile--- and said the friend had not received stimulus checks.  Now you are posting again and referring to the friend (?) but it is still not clear what you are trying to ask about or what you are trying to do.   Are you trying to help your friend file a tax return to get stimulus (recovery rebate credit) money?   Or are you asking if you can claim your friend so that YOU can get stimulus money for claiming the dependents?   Please explain, and keep your related questions in the same thread.