Thank you for your very detailed reply. Yes, I have reviewed the worksheet and I know my numbers, but I don't know his... and he's refusing to communicate and defers to his "paid tax preparer." Of course, said preparer is bound by confidentiality laws. I explained to her the points below and she said "If you can't prove to me that you've paid more than 1/2 of his support, then I will file him as independent and let the IRS work it out. Expect a letter from the IRS." How does she know for certain that her numbers overwhelm mine? Isn't it a gamble for her to submit this claim not knowing my financial status and contributions? Is there any accountability on her end for this decision? Surely she can't just re-file manually without his consent... right?
I don't like to sit around waiting for the unknown. What are the next steps? The IRS is busy, so I can't really contact them right now. When is it pertinent to retain a lawyer specializing in tax contention to protect myself from the potential of this whole deal going sideways? It kind of stinks that my son has decided to take a less mature route to working with me as our relationship was OK since he moved out until a few weeks ago... but these are the cards I'll have to play with at this time.
