Stimulus and Amend

[Okies77]

I filed my fed return with zero income as a requirement to receive rental/owner rebate in Maine. I am married with two daughters 19 and 21. I have two issues the first being,

2018 I filed without claiming my youngest as she moved out for the year and claimed herself. She is back home with a new baby (10/1) and I claimed her. She hasn't filed 2019. Would she receive the stimulus check based off her 2018 filing or did my claiming her nullify that? It seems it would be in her interest for me to amend and remove her as dependant and she file and claim herself and the baby, or can she claim the stimulus in the next tax year coming up?

The second issues is daughter number2 should not have been claimed as a dependent either but TurboTax I think sets college kids as dependent by default? I filed  her return and mine believing she was no longer my dependent but this week I looked and sure enough she is filed as dependent. Should I just amend my return and drop both girls off? I file zero and received no refund from federal, I did receive a rebate from Maine and I think I got an extra 25-50 total from the girls so I don't know how that would work (I assume I'd need to amend state as well? Or can the girls claim this stimulus in the next tax year?

[NCperson]

I had a hard time following you post; however, as far as the stimulus goes...

dependent children over the age of 16 do not qualify for the $500 rebate to you.

anyone else who is listed as a dependent on someone else's return  is not eligible for the $1200 rebate for themselves.

does that help?  

[Okies77]

The issue isn't the stimulus amounts or who qualifies, my issue is that my daughters actually should file their own returns and claim themselves. I thought my oldest was no longer listed as my dependent but I was wrong. My youngest now wants to file on her own and claim her new baby to get the stimulus. Should I amend my return dropping both girls off as dependents or can they wait until next spring and claim the stimulus then?

[NCperson]

I'd wait a few weeks for things to settle down and see how this all plays out. 

on your daughter / granddaughter - be aware the issue is whether they CAN BE listed as your dependents; not WERE they listed.   Do you see the nuance?  if they CAN BE listed, whether they are or not they are listed, your daughter (presumably over 16) is not eligible for the rebates -either the $1200 or the $500.  However, the granddaughter should qualify you for the $500 as she is a qualifying child (under 16). 

the IRS is required to send a letter explaining everything - I'd just be patient as at this point 'what is done is done'.

[Ranchopaki]

If your daughters have not filed 2019 return and just 2018 return. You could just have them file separately on their own for 2019. You wouldn't be claiming them as dependent for the year 2019 if you would want them to get the stimulus check of $1,200.

If you have already filed 2019 and claimed them as a dependent, you probably won't get any credit back due to their age. You could do an amendment and remove them but just remember, your Child tax credit or Earned income credit(which I doubt if there is any since you claimed 0 income) might have been higher due to your status being changed to head of household and claiming them. The child credit for you was probably $500 but I would double check and see your youngest daughter age at the time you filed, it could have been $1,400(or $2,000 full if you had any tax liability).

If you decide to amend your return, it could take up to 8 to 12 weeks(which might be around the time when these checks are being sent out). And keep in mind, you would have to do another return for your daughters as independent so they can get $1,200 stimulus check, you would have to amend your taxes and then wait few weeks to file your daughters in order to not get an IRS audit letter.

Hope this helps.

[NCperson]

@Ranchopaki - be aware that taxpayers certainly has the option to claim their children as a dependent or not.

 
HOWEVER, when that dependent fills out their tax return, the question to be answered on the form is CAN they be dependent on their parents tax return, not ARE they a dependent on their parent's tax return, 

if they CAN be a dependent (whether the parents claim them or not), they are not eligible for the $1200.   

So if you are 17-24 and CAN be a dependent, your parents can not get the $500 and you can not get the $1200.  That is different than what you stated.