Q. My son is now 18 and had a job for half of 2023 and plans on filling his own taxes for a refund. If I claim the 500$ additional child tax credit - can he still file?
A. Yes. He simply checks the box, on form 1040, that he can be claimed as a dependent. The TurboTax interview will handle that.
Q. If I accept the 500$ additional child tax credit will he still be able to claim himself?
A. No. But "claiming himself" is now meaningless. With the tax law change, effective 2018, most dependents will get the same refund whether they claim themselves or not. The personal exemption has been eliminated and the standard deduction increased.
There is a rule that says IF somebody else CAN claim him as a dependent, he is not allowed to claim himself. If he has sufficient income (usually more than $13,850), 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.
