Even though I'm not a dependent and make too much to be considered one, and I'm 26, I thought I still had to check one of the boxes, not just leave them all blank. I did my taxes back in January and got my return soon after. Now I've seen tons of people saying they did the same thing and that they are not going to get a stimulus check because of this technicality. Should I amend my return? Can I even? I saw the IRS wasn't accepting paper forms currently. Or am I just screwed?
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You can amend to fix this, as long as you are sure you don't meet the criteria to be claimed as a dependent:
There are two types of dependents, each subject to different rules:
For both types of dependents, you’ll need to answer the following questions to determine if you can claim them.
Dependent taxpayer test: The taxpayer, or spouse of the taxpayer if filing jointly, cannot be eligible to be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
Married Filing Jointly test: If you file a joint return with your spouse, you cannot be treated as a dependent. (This rule does not apply if the joint return was filed only as a claim for refund and no tax liability would exist for either spouse if they had filed separate returns).
Citizen or resident test: The person claimed as a dependent must be either a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. resident alien, or a resident of Canada or Mexico. An adopted child that lived with the taxpayer all year passes this test if the taxpayer is a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Qualifying Child
In addition to the above, you must be able to answer "yes" to all of the following questions to claim an exemption for your child.
Relationship test: The child must be the taxpayer’s son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendant of any of these, such as the taxpayer’s grandchild, niece, or nephew.
Residency test: The child must have lived with the taxpayer for more than half of 2019.
Age test: The child must be
• Under age 19 at the end of the tax year and younger than the taxpayer (or spouse), or
• Under age 24 at the end of 2019, a full-time student for any part of five calendar months during the tax year, and younger than the taxpayer (or spouse), or
• Permanently and totally disabled at any age
Support Test: The child cannot have provided more than 1/2 of his/her own support during the tax year. Welfare, TANF, and scholarships received by the child are not considered support.
Qualifying Relative
Relationship or Member of Household Test: To be considered a qualifying relative, a person must be:
Not a Qualifying Child Test: The relative cannot be a qualifying child of any other taxpayer for the year.
Gross Income Test: The relative's gross income must be less than $4200 for the year. Gross income is all income that is not tax-exempt. Examples of gross income include taxable Social Security benefits, taxable unemployment compensation, and certain scholarships and fellowships (i.e., monies used to pay higher education expenses other than tuition, fees, supplies, books, and course-required equipment).
Support Test: The taxpayer must have provided over 1/2 of the relative's support during the year. This test does not apply to persons who qualify as dependents under the children of divorced or separated parents rule and multiple support agreements.
After reviewing this information, if you find that you did not qualify to be claimed as a dependent, you can amend your return to correct this. Here's how to amend:
The IRS will start processing your amended return when they reopen. It will be a while before you get the stimulus (if you qualify).
You can amend to fix this, as long as you are sure you don't meet the criteria to be claimed as a dependent:
There are two types of dependents, each subject to different rules:
For both types of dependents, you’ll need to answer the following questions to determine if you can claim them.
Dependent taxpayer test: The taxpayer, or spouse of the taxpayer if filing jointly, cannot be eligible to be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
Married Filing Jointly test: If you file a joint return with your spouse, you cannot be treated as a dependent. (This rule does not apply if the joint return was filed only as a claim for refund and no tax liability would exist for either spouse if they had filed separate returns).
Citizen or resident test: The person claimed as a dependent must be either a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. resident alien, or a resident of Canada or Mexico. An adopted child that lived with the taxpayer all year passes this test if the taxpayer is a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Qualifying Child
In addition to the above, you must be able to answer "yes" to all of the following questions to claim an exemption for your child.
Relationship test: The child must be the taxpayer’s son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendant of any of these, such as the taxpayer’s grandchild, niece, or nephew.
Residency test: The child must have lived with the taxpayer for more than half of 2019.
Age test: The child must be
• Under age 19 at the end of the tax year and younger than the taxpayer (or spouse), or
• Under age 24 at the end of 2019, a full-time student for any part of five calendar months during the tax year, and younger than the taxpayer (or spouse), or
• Permanently and totally disabled at any age
Support Test: The child cannot have provided more than 1/2 of his/her own support during the tax year. Welfare, TANF, and scholarships received by the child are not considered support.
Qualifying Relative
Relationship or Member of Household Test: To be considered a qualifying relative, a person must be:
Not a Qualifying Child Test: The relative cannot be a qualifying child of any other taxpayer for the year.
Gross Income Test: The relative's gross income must be less than $4200 for the year. Gross income is all income that is not tax-exempt. Examples of gross income include taxable Social Security benefits, taxable unemployment compensation, and certain scholarships and fellowships (i.e., monies used to pay higher education expenses other than tuition, fees, supplies, books, and course-required equipment).
Support Test: The taxpayer must have provided over 1/2 of the relative's support during the year. This test does not apply to persons who qualify as dependents under the children of divorced or separated parents rule and multiple support agreements.
After reviewing this information, if you find that you did not qualify to be claimed as a dependent, you can amend your return to correct this. Here's how to amend:
The IRS will start processing your amended return when they reopen. It will be a while before you get the stimulus (if you qualify).
Thank you for the response. I know for certain I'm not a dependent, it was a misclick on my end. So if I go ahead and send an amendment, I would still receive the stimulus, just not until later this year?
If you otherwise qualify for the stimulus and the IRS approves your amended return, you will receive it. It will be a while, though. The IRS NORMALLY takes 16 weeks to process an amended return, but COVID-19 will definitely slow things down a lot more.
If you don't receive the stimulus payment in 2020, you can always receive it as a credit on your 2020 return in 2021. The stimulus is actually an ADVANCE on a credit on your 2020 return.
I made the same exact mistake so I will be amending. However, when I printed my Amend Return papers from turbo tax, my signature is on there with the date of my original tax return. Do I need to change this with the date of the Amended papers before I mail them? Part of the Amend instructions say to sign and date but Turbo tax did not give me the option before I printed the papers off so I’m not sure what to do about that.
Yes, sign and date the amendment.
I tried claiming my boyfriend on my taxes and because he was on SSI I wasn't allowed to claim him. However they left him listed as a dependent and I didn't realize it until he didn't get his stimulus. This is so unfair to him and I feel horrible. I amended my taxes and took him off. I now have to mail the documents. Is there something he should do? When I mail the documents I will explain what happened. If the IRS doesn't allow you to claim people they should not keep them listed as dependents. Hopefully I can get it fixed and he can get what is due to him. If you have any suggestions I'll be happy to hear them.
Hi,
I accidentally checked "can be claimed as dependent" on my 2018 tax return even though no body claimed me as dependent. I haven't filed my 2019 tax return yet, So I was just wondering if I should amend that tax return from 2018 or should I just file my 2019 tax return the correct way?
Thank you.
This happened to me too. By submitting an ammeded return will it delay your next stimulus payment?
The BF must mail in a 2019 return to get the stimulus check if you will amend your 2019 return.
OR ... you can leave things be for now (you keep the $500 credit you already got) and not claim him on the 2020 return next year and then he will file a 2020 return to get the $1200. This is a legal win win scenario.
When amending the box I clicked for allowing myself to be claimed as a dependent, where can that section be found? I keep going in circles through all of the different screens and options and not finding that box to change.
In the MY INFO tab edit yourself ... look for this question :
Thank you!
The same thing happened to me. I checked the “someone can claim me as a dependent” by accident but no one did. And so, I didn’t receive the first round of the stimulus checks. I sent an amended return over 2 months ago but it hasn’t been processed nor received yet. I’m concerned that since there is a second round of the stimulus check almost getting approved, I will also miss that. I really need the money. What should I do? Will I eventually still get both checks?
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