Do i need to add in my child support i receieved last year and my school grant money to see if i need to file for taxes? i only made $600 last year through my job.

[Carl]

Child support received is not taxable or reportable by the recipient on any tax return.

[Carl]

If the "taxable" portion of your grant, when added to your other "earned" income is less than $6,350, then the absolute only reason you would file a tax return, would be to get any withheld taxes back, if taxes were withheld from your earned income.

[alishad2015]

i did have taxes taken out from my job. Grossed pay was 600 and grant was about 5000. i also receive child support which would put me over 6350 but do i need to add that in?

[alishad2015]

ok thanks! should i still file since i did have taxes taken out? is there a chance i could get some of the money back?

[Carl]

Under no circumstances what-so-ever does the child support received by you matter, or get reported anywhere. Ever.
From your grant, you can only claim "qualified" education expenses, which are tution, lab fees and books. I have no doubt that **IF** any portion of your grant is taxable, it will not bring your taxable income anywhere close to $6,350. But since you had taxes withheld from your paycheck, file the return anyway to get those withheld taxes refunded. It's also possible that you may be able to get the EIC for your child, and I would be surprised if you did not.
However, I do have one really IMPORTANT question. How did you support yourself and a child with $600 of income for the year and a $5K grant? Even with child support, I can't see any way possible. Heck, the child support alone wouldn't even cover a mortgage or rent payment.
I'm asking, because it "sounds" to me like you qualify to be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. If so, that changes a lot of things for you.

[alishad2015]

i live with my father that has helped some but I'm 26. i don't think hes able to claim me? unfortunately i cant file for my daughter this year since me and her father have written that we take turns claiming her each year. we have shared parenting.

[alishad2015]

i get 400 a month for child support even though his income has increased should be getting more but I'm not able to have it relooked at for another year according to FCCS and our paperwork

[Carl]

Understand the child support doesn't count for *anything* in  your situation. Here's the better way to go tax-wise for your family as a whole.
"i live with my father that has helped some but I'm 26."
You have less than $4,050 of reportable income. Therefore, assuming your dad provided you and your child *more* than 50% of your support for the entire year (and he did obviously), your father qualifies to claim both you and the child as a depedent on your dad's tax return. That will reduce your dad's taxable income by "at least" $8,100.
THen you will file  your tax return, you do NOT claim ANY dependents, and you also select the option for "I can be claimed on someone else's tax return".
You will still get all of your withheld taxes refunded to you, and your dad's taxes will be quite a bit less.

[alishad2015]

Her father has to claim her this year it is set in stone by the state. two people cant claim her right?

[Carl]

A dependent can only be claimed on one tax return. Period. There are no exceptions. Also, when it comes to court orders, any legal authority below a federal judge can't set anything "in stone" for the IRS. Only a federal judge can do that. Since federal judges don't deal with things like divorce, child custody and child support, that's never gonna happen.

[alishad2015]

if i agreed to it which i didn't want to and i signed it, does that matter?

[Carl]

If you signed the form 8332 giving the non-custodial parent permission to claim the child as a dependent on their tax return for the 2017 tax year, then you're done. You can't claim them on your return. The 8332 has to be completed by the custodial parent each tax year. One form does not apply to any other tax year.

[alishad2015]

we are both the custodial and residential parent. i have her more than he does idk if that matters. it sucks since I'm making less well now no money since we went through FCCS I'm not working because I'm in school and his income being more i would be able to receive more in child support. i have to wait 3 years from the day it was filed which was in 2016 so another year.

[alishad2015]

im not sure if i signed that, never heard of it actually. im gonna have to go through my papers and check