Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. You can obtain the social security number from the Social Security Administration with the birth certificate which can be obtained from the county vital statistics office. It will be best if you can both agree on who will claim the child.
Only one of you would be entitled to the exemption for your child because you live together assuming you are not married. If you are married, then married filing separately would eliminate credits for the child and only one person can take the exemption.
There are different rules based on whether both parents live apart or together (together in your situation). Also, whether you are married or single. A child born during the year is considered to have lived all of 2016, regardless of the month born.
If both parents live together (and are not married) then your child becomes the qualifying child of more than one person. Only one person can actually treat the child as a qualifying child to take all of the following tax benefits (provided the person is eligible for each benefit).
- 1. The exemption for the child.
- 2. The child tax credit.
- 3. Head of household filing status.
- 4. The credit for child and dependent care expenses.
- 5. The exclusion from income for dependent care benefits.
- 6. The earned income credit.
You can make an agreement that only one of you claims the child or under the Tie-Breaker Rules the IRS will treat the child as the qualifying child of the parent with whom the child lived for the longer period of time during the year. If the child lived with each parent for the same amount of time, the IRS will treat the child as the qualifying child of the parent who had the higher adjusted gross income (AGI) for the year.
