I also reviewed what @droodhall and @ThomasM125 wrote earlier this year.
@droodhall asks "how does Turbotax determine what this student's total support is?"
and then @ThomasM125 states "if anyone else can claim you as a dependent on their tax return, which would mean that you do not provide over half of your support if someone else can claim you."
the response is misleading and it doesn't contemplate how TT determines that you do not provide over half of your support if there is no one who can claim you!
First, AOTC is somewhat unique as the qualifications are based on whether or not someone else actually claimed you. Whether you 'can' be claimed by someone else is a moot point for AOTC.
if you "can" be claimed by someone else, TT will ask you whether you were actually claimed. This is required to determine your AOTC eligibility.
- if you were actually claimed by someone else, you are not eligible for AOTC (your parents or whomever claimed you may be eligible).
- If you were not claimed by anyone else, you MAY BE eligible for AOTC.
If you are not claimed by anyone else (and depending on your age - under 24 years old - and filing status -anything but MFJ) , TT will ASK YOU if you provided over half your support. It does NOT make any assumptions or inferences about your earned income based on the "can someone else claim you" question.
