Should I amend my 2019 tax so my dependent mother can receive Stimulus check

[duruduru]

I guess being on top of things can cost you... I filed 2019 tax back in March, week before stimulus bill got passed in congress.  I filed with my mother as my dependent and already received the tax refund for 2019.  It seems that in order for her to be eligible for stimulus check she cannot be dependent of someone.  If I amend my 2019 tax to remove her as my dependent, would she be able to receive the stimulus check?  I don't understand how people who are making close to $75,000 can get full $1200, but my mother who had no income in 2019 cannot receive any stimulus check because I filed her as my dependent.  I am willing to return the $500 credit back to IRS if my mother can receive the full stimulus check.  I read some articles regarding this process and it seems like some people say amending my tax return should give her eligibility, yet some others say that it is not possible.  If anybody is going through similar situation as I am and know the direction I should take in regards to this situation, I would sincerely appreciate your guidance!  Thank you!

[JotikaT2]

It's up to you.

But if the IRS receives and processes your 2019 tax return before they process your stimulus payment, your stimulus payment will be based off of your 2019 return currently filed.

You can elect to amend your return to remove her as a dependent for 2019.  Your amended return may not get processed until after your stimulus check is issued.  Please see the following link for instructions should you choose to file an amended return.

Amend return

Please note, when you file your 2020 tax return, if you determine your stimulus payment should have been higher than what you actually received, you may be eligible to claim a credit on your 2020 return to ensure you get credit for what you were entitled to. 

The same would apply to your mom.  She would need to file a return in 2020 to ensure she receives credit for he stimulus if she ends up filing a return in 2019 after your amended return is processed and accepted.

You can visit the following links for the most recent updates:

IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief

TurboTax Corona Virus Tax Center Updates

[Amari Rainey]

Can you answer this question for me? I filed my taxes back in February and I made the mistake In putting that I can be claimed as a dependent when I can’t. Today I amended my Taxes and mailed it off. Will I receive a stimulus check after this is cleared or no?

[macuser_22]

Probably not.  Amended returns take about 4 months to process.

[RobertG]

The IRS has not addressed this question.

They have said that people who did not receive the correct stimulus amount would be able to correct it as part of filing their 2020 return. 

[Mintipine]

I am also in a SAME situation..  If I decide to not amend my 2019 return in which I already claimed my mother as my dependent last month, would my mother be able to receive the stimulus fund next year if I don't claim her as my dependent for 2020 tax return?

Or do I have to amend my return to show that I did not claim her as my dependent for year 2019 as well?

Thank you in advance for your answer.

[NCperson]

@Mintipine -

if your mother CAN BE claimed on someone else's return, she is  not eligible for the stimulus.

 the question your mother will have to answer on HER tax return is CAN SHE be claimed on someone else's return, not WAS SHE CLAIMED on someone else's return.  If you are providing more than 50% of her support (among other factors)  and she doesn't say she CAN BE, it could constitute fraud.  Careful!!!

if you claimed your mother this year, what is the reason you would not claim her next year? it can't be 'to claim the stimulus'.

[barbjkus]

I claimed my mother without her knowledge, I thought all i had to prove was that I provided more than 4200 of her yearly income. She made $18,000 in social security benefits. plus she owns the home we live in, plus half the expenses, plus all her own medical, she does not file taxes normally because all of her income is social security.  Why was my income tax not rejected when i used her social security number? If she had filed taxes she would have never checked that box that she could be used on anothers dependent. Is there anyway she will get her stimulus on her own $0 tax filing which I know she will file once she finds out she didn't get it automatically off her 1099.

[Critter]

First YOU must amend your return to remove mom ... she was NOT your dependent.

Next, mom can just wait until next Jan to file a 2020 return to get the credit.  Or she can paper file a 2019 return now but there is no guarantee that the IRS will release the stimulus money now ... no instructions have been issued as of yet. 

[NCperson]

@barbjkus - when you create that amendment, it is probably going to show you owe $500 back to the IRS to return the "other dependent tax credit".  

@Critter 

[barbjkus]

i only got $1200

[NCperson]

@barbjkus - that is correct, you received $1200 for the stimulus, but when you claimed your mother on your tax return, that should have created an "other dependent tax credit" of $500. 

THAT $500 would have to be returned as part of the amendment. 

Subsequently, your mother would file and get $1200 for the stimulus. 

[barbjkus]

Do I have to amend, if I can talk my mother into not filing her own, can she legally do that? can I? I only got to file HOH because I took it. SHE just never filed because all of her 18000 was ssa. i knew she hadn't been filing for that reason and just took the deduction .

[barbjkus]

There is nothing on her record saying she could be claimed -as she hasn't filed and has never checked that box that she could.

[barbjkus]

i'm sorry, i didn't file head of household, i filed for the credit and i did it in 2018 too with turbotax..