You will be 18 by the end of 2019? And you lived with your mother for over half the year? It is possible that your mom could claim both you and your child as her dependents. You need to use the "support" test to see how much of your own support you really provided for yourself and the child. "Contributed to bills" may not be as much as you think it was. You can be a qualifying child until you are 19 years old--the age of eighteen is not the magic number.
WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?
You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiance (etc.) as a dependent on your 2018 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:
Qualifying child
• They are related to you.
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They are under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
◦ No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children.
• They live with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
Qualifying relative
• They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They lived with you the entire year.
• They made less than $4,150 in 2018
• You provided more than half of their financial support. More info
When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them.
Related Information:
• Does a dependent have to live with me?
• What does "financially support another person" mean?
• Can I claim a newborn baby?
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
