Yes you can amend. If your son is a full-time student you can claim him as a dependent no matter how much he made. The $4200 if only if he is not a full-time student and is 19 or older. As long as he is in school you can claim him until he turns 24. While he is a full-time student he can be claimed as a qualifying child--even if he lives away at school. Being away at school is a "temporary absence" so you say he lived with you. He must say on his own return that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return--so if he did not say that, he has to amend too.
Dependents do not get a stimulus check, so he will not receive that. But you can claim the education credits on your own return while he is your dependent; if you otherwise qualify for EIC you can still get EIC for claiming him, and file as Head of Household -- unless you file a joint return.
If needed, you can amend both 2018 and 2019 returns to claim your son as your dependent. Amended returns take a long time to be processed, but it should make a difference for you.
How do I amend my 2019 TurboTax Online return?
A 1040X cannot be e-filed. It must be printed and mailed. It will take about 4 months for the IRS to process an amended return. It is a good idea to use a mailing service that will track it, like UPS or certified mail, so you will know it was received.
Wait about 3 weeks from mailing and you can check the status of your amended return:
https://www.irs.gov/Filing/Individuals/Amended-Returns-(Form-1040-X)/Wheres-My-Amended-Return-1
https://www.irs.gov/filing/individuals/amended-returns-form-1040-x/amended-return-frequently-asked-q...
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1908543-do-i-need-to-amend
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?
**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.**
