Well running through the various tax options and doing a compare including my college student as a dependent or not, appears that if I exclude him there is only a minor adjustment to my refund. If he files non-dependent then he qualifies for the stimulus check for 2021 and gets a larger refund. Is there any rule that I have to claim him as a dependent? I do support him (cell phone, medical insurance, car insurance, average living expenses) but he has been doing an internship living in a company dormitory while attending his masters doing University education online. I saw on the IRS.gov that online schools may not qualify? If he files independent appears he would fair better on taxes.
Also when it asks on Turbo tax "Can someone else claim you" what does that mean exactly? Thanks
