Q. How do I claim my 19yr old daughter as dependent on my return, if she earned > $5,050 in 2024?
A. In the personal info section, you say she lived with you all year (or at least 7 months) and that she was a full time student. You can claim her if she was a full time student and lived with you (being away at school still counts as living with you).
There are two types of dependents, "Qualifying Children"(QC) and Other ("Qualifying Relative" in IRS parlance even though they don't have to actually be related). The $5050 income limit does not apply for a QC but there is an age limit, student status, a relationship test and residence test.
A child of a taxpayer can still be a “Qualifying Child” (QC) dependent, regardless of his/her income, if:
- He is under age 19, or under 24 if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or is totally & permanently disabled
- He did not provide more than 1/2 his own support. Scholarships are excluded from the support calculation
- He lived with the parent (including temporary absences such as away at school) for more than half the year
So, it doesn't matter how much he earned. What matters is how much he spent on support. Money he put into savings does not count as support he spent on himself.
