If your full-time student son was under the age of 24 at the end of 2019 then you can still claim him as a dependent on your own tax return even if he had a job and filed a tax return. Please read the criteria for claiming a dependent carefully. He can still be claimed as your qualifying child--and it does not matter that he had a job or even how much he earned, That means the education credit still goes on YOUR tax return.
WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?
You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiance (etc.) as a dependent on your 2019 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:
Qualifying child
• They are related to you.
• They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They are not filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They are under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
- No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children
• They live with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
Qualifying relative
• They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).
• They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They are not filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They lived with you the entire year.
• They made less than $4200 (not counting Social Security)
• You provided more than half of their financial support. More info
When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them.
Related Information:
• Does a dependent have to live with me?
• What does "financially support another person" mean?
• Can I claim a newborn baby?
Did your son make the mistake that is very common among students filing first tax returns? Did he say he cannot be claimed as someone else's dependent because he made some money of his own?
If your son filed a tax return and did not say on his own return that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return, when you claim him on your return, your e-file is going to be rejected. You will not be able to e-file this year. Your own return that claims him must be printed signed and mailed. Do not wait for him to amend his return--that process will take many months.
Your son will have to amend his own return. If he received stimulus money--he should not have received it. Dependents are not eligible for stimulus money.
For your son:
How do I amend my 2019 TurboTax Online return?
He needs to change the way he answered the question in My Info and say that he CAN be claimed as someone else's dependent.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
