I am single, and living with my parents
the fact you're in a community property state really doesn't matter to a certain extent. Since you are the one living with your parents, I seriously doubt you are the one supporting either of them. I would expect they are the one's providing you more than 50% of your own support. (But expectations can be wrong.) How your parents can support themselves *and* you on $10K for the year does raise more questions though. Maybe they have already paid off the mortgage on their home?
Understand that any support they provide you is not figured in cold cash spent only. If you live with them in a home that they own, that has monetary value for your parents. Basically, the support they are providing you would include food, utilities, and the fair market rental value of the space in their home that is exclusive to you. (Generally a bedroom, and can include a bath if that bath is only accessible from the bedroom that is exclusive to you.)
If there's a mortgage involved and your name is not on the mortgage, then you are not legally obligated to pay it. Therefore you can't count/claim that. If your name is not on the property deed then you have no legal claim to the property either and therefore can't deduct things like the property taxes paid on the property - even if you do actually pay those expenses.
Now I'm not trying to contradict or discourage you here. Just pointing out things from an IRS perspective. Here's the issue concerning the stimulus payments.
- If your parent's file joint then together they will qualify for $2400 ($1200 each). You file single and you qualify for $1200
- If your mother files separate, she qualifies for $1200 and that's it. If you file single and claim your father then you qualify for $1200 and that's it. Your father as a dependent will not qualify you for any additional stimulus money because your father is over the age of 17.
So if your mom files separate and you claim your dad, you're basically screwing your family as a whole, out of $1200 in stimulus payments.
