Q. My son filed his own tax return. Can I still claim him?
A. Yes, if he qualifies as your dependent, under either the qualifying child or qualifying relative rules, as described in the other replies.
There is a rule that says IF somebody (you, in this case) CAN claim him as a dependent, he is not allowed to claim himself, if he files a tax return. If he has sufficient income (usually more than $12,550), he can & should still file taxes. In TurboTax, he indicates that somebody else can claim him as a dependent, at the personal information section. TT will check that box on form 1040.
Even if he had less, he is allowed to file if he needs to get back income tax withholding. He cannot get back social security or Medicare tax withholding.
If he has filed a return, claiming himself, he will need to file an amended return, unclaiming himself, so that you can claim him. You do not need to wait until his amended return is fully processed, to claim him on your return. But, you cannot e-file. You will have to mail in a paper return.
