DanielV01
Expert Alumni

Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Dependency is determined on the entire year, not just a part of it. And that can be a bit complicated, such as your case.  Let us go under the assumption that you were a full-time student, under 24 by December 31, 2018, living at home at least 6 months and 1 day last year.  You are your mom's qualifying child if you yourself did not provide at least half of your own support for the entire year.  This means there are two possibilities:

  • Your mom claimed you when she should not have.  If you provided at least half of your own support, how much she owes in taxes does not matter.  She is supposed to remove you as a dependent on her return, and you claim yourself as independent on your return (you would claim your own school credits in this case, but you would also mail in your return, because you have been claimed through an e-filed return.  Your mom would mail in an amended return with yours).
  • Your mom could claim you because you did not provide at least half of your own support in the year.  You must file as a dependent, which covers the entire year, not just the section while you were in school.

Unfortunately, there is no provision in the tax code to claim a dependent for only half of the year.  Either the person is a dependent or the person is not.  The tax code has nothing in between.

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