Should my dad send in his taxes and not claim me since I claimed myself on accident?

[DTweedy]

So I accidentally claimed myself on my tax return and I am about to send off my amended return. I was wondering what our best option to fix this. Would him sending his return in now (not claiming me), and amending his return (to claim me) when my amended return goes through our best option to fix this?

Sorry if this isn't enough details on the situation. I can give more if needed.

[StevenC1 · Accepted solution]

sdfaf

If you accidentally answered NO to  "can someone else claim me as a dependent" on your original return, you COULD change that on your amend. (what you are probably doing)

Your dad will need to wait until the IRS completely processes your amend before he will be able to claim you as a dependent, but you are running out of time.

Your father could go ahead and file not claiming you, and you still do the amend (saying someone else can claim you).

Once your amend is processed, then your dad can do an amend claiming you.

[DTweedy]

Then that is what we will do. Thank you StevenC

[macuser_22]

Your dad will have to mail his return since the IRS e-file system will not allow another return with the same SSN.   He does not have to wait since amended returns can take 8-12 weeks and up to 16 weeks (4 months) to process.

While nobody can be compelled to claim a dependent, a dependent cannot claim them self if they can be claimed by another tax payer - the tax law does not allow that.

That is why there are two questions in the interview - *can* you be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer, and *were* you (or will you) actually be claimed by that taxpayer?

In both cases the dependent will not get their own $4,505 personal exemption.  If the answer to the second question is "yes" then the taxpayer claiming the  dependent gets it, if the answer is "no" the exemption is lost, but the dependent is then allowed to claim certain educational credits that cannot be claimed by a dependent if they are actually claimed.

See IRS Pub 17 Personal Exemptions - Your Own Exemption
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch03.html#en_US_2016_publink1000170848">https://www.irs.gov/pub...>

You can take one exemption for yourself unless you can be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer. If another taxpayer is entitled to claim you as a dependent, you can’t take an exemption for yourself even if the other taxpayer doesn't actually claim you as a dependent.

[DTweedy]

So my dad will have to file by mail while my amend goes through? If that is the case, should he claim me on that return he sends in by mail, or not claim me and amend once my amend goes through?

[StevenC1]

The problem you face now is just the April 18 filing deadline.  Your dad needs to go needs to file something, if only an extension, because things take a little longer by mail.  It is doubtful your amend will process by April 18th.

[DTweedy]

Okay, so can he e-file his return in without claiming me, and claim me later on his amend when my amend goes through so that he can actually claim me?

[StevenC1]

Exactly!

[DTweedy]

Okay thank you, macuser_22 confused me with his comment.

[StevenC1]

No Prob 😉