If I filed an IDR plan to lower my federal student loans and advised I have a dependent do I have to claim them on my taxes? Can my child’s father claim them?

[jennafrat]

On my application for the income driven repayment plan it had asked if I had any dependents. I answered yes and then proceeded to add my income information. Since I stated I have a dependent on the application do I also have to claim my child on my taxes? My child’s father was planning on claiming them.

[Hal_Al]

You'll probably have to ask the loan company that question.

If you and the child's father live together only one of you can claim the child. 

But, there is a special rule in the case of divorced & separated (including never married) parents. When the non-custodial parent is claiming the child as a dependent/exemption/child tax credit; the custodial parent is still allowed to claim the same child for Earned Income Credit, Head of Household filing status, and day care credit. This "splitting of the child" is not available to parents who lived together at any time during the last 6 months of the year; then only one of you can claim the child for any tax reasons. The tax benefits may not be split in any other manner.

Note in particular that the non-custodial parent can never claim the Earned Income Credit, Head of Household filing status or the day care credit, based on that child, even when the custodial parent has released the dependency to him.

 So, it's good idea to let the other parent know that you will be claiming those items, as many first time divorced parents are not aware of this rule and may try to claim those items, which will cause the IRS to send out letters.