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New Member
posted Jan 17, 2021 12:46:01 PM

If I graduated college May 9, 2020 would I be considered a full time student in 2020?

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3 Replies
Level 15
Jan 17, 2021 12:57:08 PM

Yes, if your school considered you a full time student then you were a full time student in 2020 for tax purposes.

Level 15
Jan 18, 2021 3:58:18 AM

For the Qualifying Child dependent rule, you must have been full time for parts of calendar months.  Graduating in May, even May 1st,  means you usually meet this rule.

 

You don't say why you're asking.  It's usually about being claimed as a dependent.  See additional reply for a discussion on that.

 

That particularly important this year, with stimulus $ on the table.  

Under the CARES Act, if you are claimed, or qualify to be claimed, as a dependent on someone else’s return you cannot receive a stimulus check, in 2020.   If you qualified as a dependent for 2019, but will not be for 2020, you will most likely get it in 2021, when you file a 2020 tax return.

Level 15
Jan 18, 2021 3:59:18 AM

Graduation year

If he/she was a student (under 24) for at least 5 months and lived with you for more than half the year, and did not provide more than 1/2 his own support for the whole year, you can still claim him. Be sure he knows you're claiming him, so he doesn't claim himself. He can only be claimed once. But, he can "file taxes" without claiming his own exemption.

The real question is who should be claiming him in this "transition" year to adulthood. You two have to agree on who is going to claim his exemption. Each should do their taxes both ways and see which way the family comes out best.  Even then, you have to meet the rules. The rule is that a child of a taxpayer can still be a “Qualifying Child” dependent, regardless of  his income, if:

  1. he is a full time student under 24 for at least 5 calendar months of the year (graduating in May usually means you meet the 5 month rule)
  2. he did not provide more than 1/2 his own support  (scholarships are considered 3rd party support and not support provided by the student). 
  3. lived with the parent (including time away at school) for more than half the year

 

So, it usually hinges on  "Did he provide more than 1/2 his own support in 2019.

The support value of the home you provided is the fair market rental value of the home plus utilities & other expenses divided by the number of occupants. IRS Publication 501 on page 20 has a worksheet that can be used to help with the support calculation. See: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf