Hello there,
I am currently filing my taxes for the first time with the intention of claiming myself as an independent. I did not receive a stimulus check so my main goal was to receive the $1400 and also not have to pay taxes due to the deductions. For brief background, I made roughly $10,000 from summer internship + investments. I am 21 years old who is a senior in college and live in a dorm - so I only live in my parents' home for roughly 4 months. My home state is CA and I go to school in IN. My parents are well off and are in the upper level tax bracket.
Here's the problem. Regarding my student expenses, my dad currently pays half the college expense (tuition, room, etc) and I pay the other half via a loan from a private lender which was cosigned by my dad. Does this mean that I must check the box where they ask if someone else can claim me as a dependent EVEN IF nobody does? I was under the impression that I could still file independently but I've been reading forums that state that I must be filing dependently... This also means I end up paying couple hundred dollars in taxes whereas if I filed independently, I could receive $1400. My parents do not plan on claiming me as a dependent but if I need to file dependently, then they should right? Sorry for the myriad of questions.
