How you file your 2019 tax return has no bearing on your potential status *TODAY*. The simple fact is, you were a full time student in 2019 and your parent's qualify to claim you as a dependent on their tax return, if specific criteria is met. If:
- On Dec 31 of that year you were under the age of 24 and;
- *YOU* did *NOT* provide more than half of your own support for the entire tax year, and;
- You were enrolled as a full time student for *any* *one* *semester* that started in the tax year, and;
- You were enrolled in s course of study that will lead to a degree or credentialed certification, and;
- You were enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning, then:
Your parents qualify to claim you as a depdendent on their tax return. Period. End of Story.
Now understand what this means. First, it *DOES* *NOT* *MATTER* if your parents actually claim you or not. The key word here is *QULAIFY*. So if they qualify to claim you, then you MUST select the option for "I can be claimed on someone else's tax return" when completing your own 2019 tax return. Again, it *does* *not* *matter* if your parents actually claim you or not.
When it comes to support, there is *NO* requirement for your parent's to provide you any support. Not one single penny. The support requirement is on you, and *ONLY* you. That requirement reads:
"If the student does not provide more than half of their own support for the entire tax year, then the parents qualify to claim the student as a dependent on the parent's tax return."
Be aware that all third party income *does* *not* *count* for you providing your own support. Third party income includes scholarships, grants, 529 distributions, money from mom and dad, gifts from Aunt Mary, etc. There are only two possible ways that you could provide more than half of your own support.
1) You have a W-2 job or are self-employed and earned a sufficient amount of income during the tax year to justify a claim to providing more than half of your own support. That earned income also *MUST* be more than the total of all third party support received. Finally, your support cost *must* be realistic and resonable. No $5000/mo penthouse suite with steak and eggs for breakfast everyday, followed by steak and lobster for lunch and dinner. That would *not* be realistic or reasonable for an undergraduate college student.
All of the above information will also apply to your 2020 tax return which you will not file until next year in 2021. Since you did not acquire gainful employment after graduation until August, I would have doubt that you provided more than half of your own support for the entire 2020 tax year. But I also could not state that it's impossible either. So if on your 2020 tax return (that you complete next year) you do not indicate that you can be claimed on someone else's tax return, make sure you can prove that y ou provided more than half your own support for the entire 2020 tax year, in case you are audited on it.
Three golden rules to keep in mind when dealing with the IRS.
1) You are guilty until proven innocent.
2) The burden of proof is on the accused (that's you!) and not the accuser.
3) If it's not is writing, then it flat out *did* *not* *occur*.
