Meganmartin
Returning Member

Claiming a child

I took care of my cousin for the year of 2020. I want to claim her on my taxes, but I also don’t want to get into trouble for claiming her. Me and my cousins father didn’t go thru the court because he is trying to get his life together and he didn’t want to lose her permanently. He has not worked in 2 years, so he will not be filing taxes. I would also like to add, she did not want to leave her current school, and I currently live outside the school district so me and my grandmother agreed for her to get off the bus at her house and I would be there ready to pick her up.  I have a document written up that I am her caretaker when it comes to doctors and school and everything else. Will me having one address and the child I’m trying to claim having a different address affect my taxes if I claim her? Should I claim her? She did live with me For the whole year. I housed her, I feed her, I bought all her clothes, I paid for all of her school activities, I took her to doctors appointments and everything else. Could I get audited if I do claim her? Like I said she has never been claimed on anyone’s taxes as far as I am aware and her mother ran off when she was a year old.