Can I claim my college student child as a dependent

[J-Augie]

I have two children who are in college. They are full time students and both have part time jobs. During the school year, my son lives in a frat house on campus and my daughter shares an apartment with two other students off campus. They pay their rents and expenses with the money they make and student loans. To determine if I can claim them as dependents, I need to answer if they pay more then half their living expenses with earned income. How do I determine that?

[IreneS · Accepted solution]

If they are full-time students it's unlikely that they provide more than half of their own support for the year, especially if you're paying for their college expenses.  According to the IRS, support includes amounts spent to provide:

• Food,
• Lodging,
• Clothing,
• Education,
• Medical and dental care,
• Recreation,
• Transportation, and
• Similar necessities.

Additional information can be found in IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.