My 2018 salary & age has passed the dependent claim limit but I still depend on my parents for expenses. Should I claim my 1098-T and 1098-E? If so, how?

[limon2023]

I have graduated from my university in 2018 and I was going to school part-time. I started my new job in the summer and started courses toward graduate school in the fall. My age is above 24 and my income was much too low to cover my education expenses. But because I made over $3600 last year and my age during my senior year was over 24, my parents can’t claim me even though they helped pay for my tuition and part of my student loans. Should I go with the advice of filing the 1098-T and -E? If so, how  would I be able to explain that my parents covered the majority of my school fees?

[Coleen3]

The cut-off for salary for being claimed as a dependent is $4,150. While you no longer qualify as a child, you do qualify as a "relative".

Qualifying Relative

You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiancé (etc.) as a dependent on your 2018 taxes as long as they meet all of the following requirements :

• You provided more than half of their financial support. More info
• They made less than $4,150 in gross income during 2018 unless they are a qualifying child.
• They live with you or they are related to you. (Your relative must live at your residence all year or be on the list of “relatives who do not live with you” in Publication 501.) 
• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren't (or won't be) claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• You are not being claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.

[limon2023]

Thank you. I made over the $4150 cutoff but I still live with them and they provide more than half of my support so could they still claim me as a relative?

[Coleen3]

No.

[limon2023]

Thank you for these answers. They really help. I’ve got one more question with all of this in mind - I have 2 1098-Ts (one from undergrad, one from grad school) and a 1098-E - all three under my name. My parents helped cover all of my undergrad expenses while the grad school and 1098-E was split between us. The combined expenses are almost triple my salary. Do I need to give certain forms over to my parents based on their level of support or would I file all three under me?

[Coleen3]

If you are independent, they are all yours. You can't split them.

[limon2023]

Thank you so much Coleen.