I am in pretty much the same situation being the grandparent of a child whom we have been caring for most of the year. Is there some way to claim him as a dependent before actually filing my tax return? If I need to wait until receiving all my 1099's etc, I generally can't file till sometime in March. His mother, who has not cared for him at all, will likely file earlier and claim him as a dependent. Can I file an "estimated" return earlier and replace it with a correct amended return later?
Also, the same thing happened last year (2016). I didn't claim him since his mother had already claimed him by the time that I filed. Can I still file an amended return by mail for 2016, claiming my grandson as a dependent?
